When traveling by plane, asking for ice might be the worst choice you make during your journey…You board the plane, order a refreshing drink, and wouldn’t some ice be nice in it? While it might seem like a good idea, learning the truth behind it might turn your stomach.
Let’s explain the reason behind this interesting situation based on the insights from flight attendants and research on water/ice on planes.
Planes harbor things we can’t see with our eyes. Especially during long flights, we enjoy having something to eat or drink. But there’s an undeniable truth that planes harbor a lot of microbes. In fact, they even harbor superbugs.
Asking for ice on a plane might not be the smartest thing to do. According to research on the quality of water on planes, the ice on planes is made from the tap water, which is full of bacteria due to the infrequent emptying and cleaning of the water tank. Even cabin crew and pilots usually avoid consuming any liquid from the plane’s water tank.
In fact, a flight attendant once told Redbook Magazine, “Every time I went to put ice in a drink, there was a wet-mold smell to the water. Ice buckets were rarely cleaned, and the ice, when it broke off, would be dirty.”
Other beverages may not be clean enough either. A foul smell coming from the ice bin is not unusual. According to research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, airplane water tanks are highly conducive to microbial growth, and beverages like coffee and tea also pose potential risks.
But can these bacteria threaten our health? Fortunately, healthy adults have a tolerant immune system to handle the mentioned bacteria, and they can be digested. Still, nobody wants to put ice from a moldy place full of bacteria into their system, right?
