Airplane Hygiene Facts

Yes, the above infographic must have given you the surface details about how many micro-organisms are present in your regular sized airplane. It’s just a heads up for your next air travel. This is not meant to scare you from travelling, because as per records, air travel is still the safest and fasted way of travel. But it would be better if you know where and where not to touch too much on the insides! And hence we have brought these airplane hygiene facts to you.

The website Travelmath sent a team (size unknown) of microbiologists to take samples from two major carriers in the US from multiple flights. According to the results obtained after careful analysis of the samples, the food tray was found to be the most dirty. The average results for each food tray was around 2,155 CFU/sq. in. (Colony – Forming Units per square inch).

Since this could provide bacteria direct transmission to your mouth, a clear takeaway from this is to eliminate any direct contact your food has with the tray table,

-said Travelmath’s report on the findings.

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Now, there is more to it on the bright side! Travelmath said that all the samples tested negative for the presence of fecal coliforms. Those are the ones which can be harmful in a serious way. So, don’t go cancelling your next flight. They also said that the results could be such because the flights are more frequent these days, leaving barely any time for the airline staff to sanitise all the surfaces on a routine basis. That might sound justifying, but it certainly should not be an excuse. Certainly something must be done about it – we can only hope for it.

Here is the list again, in case the infographic gave you a hard time loading –

1. Tray table – 2,155 CFU/sq. in.
2. Drinking fountain buttons – 1,240 CFU/sq. in.
3. Overhead air vents – 285 CFU/sq. in.
4. Lavoratory flush buttons – 265 CFU/sq. in.
5. Seatbelt buckles – 230 CFU/sq. in.