British Airways Tries Not Cleaning Aircraft Cabin Between Flights
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British Airways has decided to experiment with inflight hygiene.
Last week, BA ran a “no clean” trial between busy flights from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Dublin Airport (DUB) — the route that was previously named the busiest in Europe in 2018. The trial was to see if cutting out the usual cleaning process between flights could save time and decrease delays.
The regular British Airways cabin cleaning routine between flights involves a crew of designated ground staff who board the plane after passengers disembark to tidy up for the next trip. During the cleaning, airline flight attendants take a scheduled break.
In the case of BA’s trial, ground staff remained on the ground, and flight attendants were “encouraged to collect as much rubbish as possible before landing.” Airline bosses suggested that crew, in case of any passenger complaints about the state of the aircraft, offer customers their apologies and “explain the cabin has not been cleaned… to assist the punctuality of our operation.” Yet, union officials advised flight attendants not to help replace cleaners.
Despite the cabin crew’s best efforts, those aboard the BA flights during the trial were met with trash-stuffed seat pockets, filthy bathrooms and garbage bins filled to the brim.
However, if you’re one of the many people who frequent the route from LHR to DUB, fear not. British Airways confirmed to Simple Flying that the trial period was just a trial, and it would not be rolled out in the future.
Featured image by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
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