I’m a former flight attendant – and here’s why you should NEVER worry about drinking tea or coffee on a plane
A former flight attendant who worked at an altitude of 10,000 meters for 16 years claims rumors about dirty water and unsanitary coffee pots on planes are categorically untrue.
In recent years, airline employees have made headlines by rejecting hygiene processes for hot drinks, causing passengers to worry about what they are ingesting.
One flight attendant claims that coffee pots are taken to the toilets to be emptied – and that the pots get ‘a bit close’ to the toilet, creating a risk of ‘splashing water’.
Another claims that the fact that the drinking water is the same liquid used in the ‘bathroom system’ puts holidaymakers at risk of ingesting E.Coli bacteria.
But ex-hostess Skye Taylor, 49, from Southampton, who worked as a cabin crew member for budget airlines before being hired by Virgin Atlantic, insists a cappuccino in the clouds is perfectly safe.
Skye Taylor, 49, from Southampton, worked as a cabin crew member for 16 years. Fellow airline workers have said coffee pots and water tanks on planes are unclean, but she disagrees
She tells MailOnline: ‘There is a lot of discussion about drinking hot water and the water tanks.
‘But for me it was my cups of tea that kept me going at work.
‘If you serve food and drinks, everything must be hygienic.
One attendant claims that coffee pots in the galley of an aircraft (above) are taken to the toilets to be emptied and that the pots get ‘a bit close’ to the toilet, risking creating ‘splashing water’.
Skye, seen here in her Virgin Atlantic uniform, says: ‘Everything has to be hygienic when you serve food and drink. We must follow food safety and health and safety regulations.”
“We have to follow food safety and health and safety rules. So no, there’s nothing I wouldn’t drink on the plane.’
EasyJet previously confirmed to MailOnline that water stored on an aircraft is used to make hot drinks and flush the toilet.
However, a spokesperson added: ‘There is absolutely no chance of cross-contamination due to the design of the system’s piping.
‘This is common with most aircraft manufacturers and airlines. Fresh water is loaded onto the plane every day.’
When asked if she wouldn’t eat food on board, Skye also said no.
Chef Gordon Ramsay famously refuses to eat airplane food after his time working in the airline industry, but the longtime flight attendant disagrees with his stance.
Skye said: ‘There’s probably nothing I wouldn’t eat on a plane.
‘We worked so hard on board, so I literally ate everything. We would get food for the crew.
“Most of us who had been there for a while brought our own food to work, but sometimes I would just try to eat everything, especially after a 12-hour flight when I had no energy left.”
Previously, Skye revealed to MailOnline the reasons why she left her career in the air – from the pay to a surprising lack of travel.
Want to hear more from Skye? Follow her on Instagram under the username @skye_taylor_xx or on TikTok at @slkye_taylor_xx.