You May Want to Skip the Coffee, Tea on Your Next Flight

Before ordering coffee or tea on your next flight, you may want to reconsider. A new analysis by the nonprofit Center for Food as Medicine & Longevity examined more than 35,000 aircraft water samples collected over three years from 10 major and 11 regional U.S. airlines. The group concluded that passengers are better off drinking bottled water and avoiding beverages made with onboard water, according to CBS News.

The study also advises travelers not to use sink water in airplane restrooms. Instead, it recommends hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol for hygiene purposes.

Researchers say aircraft drinking water is an often-overlooked public health concern, pointing to potential risks such as gastrointestinal illness and exposure to harmful bacteria. Testing found that 2.7% of samples contained total coliform bacteria, an indicator that disease-causing organisms may be present. E. coli was detected 32 times across the 21 airlines included in the study.

Among major airlines, Delta and Frontier earned A grades for water quality. Alaska and Allegiant received Bs, while Southwest, Hawaiian, and United were graded C. American, JetBlue, and Spirit received D grades. Regional airlines generally performed worse, with Mesa Airlines receiving an F and several others, including SkyWest and Envoy, earning Ds.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Aircraft Drinking Water Rule, in effect since 2011, requires airlines to regularly test for coliform bacteria and E. coli, and to disinfect and flush onboard water tanks quarterly. However, the study notes that penalties for violations are rarely enforced.

Airlines named in the report said they comply with federal regulations. American, JetBlue, Spirit, and Southwest told CBS News that their water systems meet EPA standards. JetBlue added that it already provides bottled drinking water to passengers. Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said carriers follow EPA, FAA, and FDA requirements and emphasized that passenger and crew safety remains their top priority.

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