Latest news with #airplane
Irish Times
a day ago
- General
- Irish Times
Man arrested and charged after garda assaulted on board plane at Dublin Airport
A man has been arrested and charged after 'viciously' assaulting a garda on board a plane at Dublin Airport on Tuesday morning. The man, aged in his 40s, was on board a transatlantic United Airlines flight travelling from Newark, New Jersey, to Dublin. The captain and crew of the flight reported the man being disruptive and requested the assistance of gardaí, who subsequently boarded and attempted to engage with him. A Garda spokesperson said the man proceeded to 'viciously assault a member of An Garda Síochána'. READ MORE Pepper spray was deployed during the incident, according to the Garda. The passenger subsequently fled the aircraft and was arrested a short time later. He has since been charged with assault and offences under the Air Navigation and Transport Act 2022 and is due before Dublin District Court on Tuesday evening. 'The Garda member who was injured during this incident is being treated at Beaumont Hospital for non-life threatening injuries,' the spokesperson said.
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2 days ago
- Health
This Plane Seat Cushion Is My Secret to Arriving at Destinations Pain-free
As a travel writer, I spend a lot of time on airplanes. Some of these flights are shorter, while others are hours long, or even take all night. Naturally, I've gotten quite used to finding small ways to make those often-uncomfortable flights a lot easier on my body and mind. For one, I try to get the aisle seat as often as possible on these trips, since I tend to get up often. Aisle seats have so many benefits: They make it easier to use the bathroom and disembark quickly, plus they're great for easing the closed-in, trapped feeling of being in a tight space. But these perks also come with a distinct set of potential discomforts you may not have in other seats. Sitting in the aisle seat means you'll also be asked to pop up and down more frequently to let your fellow passengers out—plus, there's no view, and the constant foot traffic of the aisle can be a pain. And, at the end of the day, you still have to deal with sitting in an uncomfortable seat. Over time and circumstance, though, I've discovered there are small changes to make and travel accessories I can add to my routine to create a more comfortable space in any seat on the plane. And, for me, one game-changer has been my Sojoy Gel Seat Cushion. While $54 may seem like a hefty sum of money, it's a small price to pay for adding an extra layer of comfort and cushioning to an uncomfortable airplane seat that often leaves me with an achy bottom. Flight after flight, I've arrived at my destination with my lower back in so much pain I could barely function navigating outside of the airport. The last thing I wanted to do was add yet another thing to my load when I fly, but since I've added this gel seat cushion to my arsenal, it's made all the difference in how I feel—both during the flight and when I arrive at my destination. As a larger girl, the memory foam cushion has helped absorb my body's weight, allowing me to maintain as much comfort as possible. The Sojoy Foldable Gel Seat Cushion is ergonomic and made with a gel-topped memory foam cushion that feels sturdy and strong—but despite that durability, it's also really easy to fold up and store between uses. An added benefit for me is that it's not limited to airplane seats. I never know when I'll be dealing with a hard or uncomfortable seat in a hotel room or cafe, and this has come in handy for those instances, as well. I've even been using it at home on my own desk chair, which after a decade of use, is weathered and pretty worn out. This lightweight and comfortable seat cushion is even approved by flight attendants. "I am a flight attendant and I use this when I am commuting to work,' wrote one shopper, giving it a five-star rating. 'It fits perfectly in my bag because it folds in half, or has a snap if you want to put it on your bag. It was my Christmas gift to myself and I use it all the time." According to the Amazon reviews, pilots—who also have to spend long hours sitting during flights—love it as well. 'A commercial pilot recommended this, and [the] dude is right,' shared one five-star reviewer. 'It's amazing. This is my companion for any flights or long road trip." Another five-star reviewer noted that it's "so comfortable," adding, "I bought one for my mom and one for me. I found out about it from a pilot who was sitting next to me on a recent flight and he swore by it." The Sojoy Foldable Gel Seat Cushion isn't the only thing I swear by for making flights more comfortable. Keep scrolling for more in-flight essentials I recommend packing before your next trip, starting at $10. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Passengers should never wash their hands in airplane toilets, experts warn – it can make them dangerously more dirty
WASHING your hands on a plane might sound like a smart hygiene move, but experts say it could leave you dirtier. The warning comes from flight attendants and health researchers who say the water in airplane bathrooms is not as clean as some people might think. 2 2 Most airplane water tanks aren't cleaned often, and bacteria can easily spread, especially mid-air. A 2017 study published in the Annals of Microbiology found more than 50 different strains of bacteria in ice samples used on planes. "A consistent percentage of the microorganisms identified from ice are known agents of human infections," researchers wrote. "My takeaway from doing the research was to not drink the coffee and the tea. At all," Charles Platkin, who led the study, told Travel + Leisure. "I don't wash my hands either. I have wipes that I use," Platkin said. Even if toilets are cleaned regularly, "the locks and door handles are not," warned flight attendant and travel blogger Josephine Remo. Shanina Knighton, a research associate professor at Case Western Reserve University, said she avoids the airplane bathroom when she can. "I'm mindful of surfaces, especially the latch on the bathroom door, which everyone uses to open the door, even if they haven't washed their hands," she said. Contaminated airplane water can "wreck your vacation before you even arrive," Knighton said. "I wouldn't want to start a vacation with a stomach bug because of unsafe water exposure," she added. I save £100s with 'secret' airport hack that lets me sneak extra bag on plane - it's completely legal & costs just £1.55 Instead of using the tap, Remo suggests using hand sanitizer after touching luggage, tray tables, or anything in the seat pocket. She added that passengers should wash their hands properly once they land. A former flight attendant speaking to Sanctuary Bathrooms described the loo as "essentially a cupboard, with no clean air." "There is no window and the air ventilation is poor," she said. "You could also be breathing in potential faeces particles, circulating the air after a toilet flush," said Knighton. She also warned against brushing your teeth onboard, since the water is often unfiltered and comes from the same tanks. "Use bottled water but my main piece of advice would be, do not take your toothbrush or wash bag anywhere near an airplane loo," she said. Passengers were urged to hover over the seat instead of sitting on it and, in general, to keep their shoes on while on the plane. KEEP SHOES AND STOCKINGS ON "Due to the high chance of unbalance and people missing the toilet bowl, there could be urine on the floor," Knighton said. "If you carried this from your sock into your shoe and back into your home – that would be incredibly unhygienic." She also urged travelers to shower as soon as they land. Knighton said she always used to hop in the shower immediately after returning home from work. "As soon as you arrive at your destination, put your clothes in the wash and have a good scrub," she said. "I always used to shower straight after work and sometimes the water would turn brown."
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Flap on Delta flight as pigeons prevent aircraft from taking wing
Mayhem erupted just before takeoff on a plane heading from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, after passengers realized their aircraft wasn't the only thing trying to take flight. A flap ensued as two pigeons were found inside the cabin of the Delta Air Lines domestic flight on Saturday, causing brief scenes of chaos as passengers and crew tried to capture the birds flying around the cabin before the jet could take wing. Tom Caw, an aptly named Instagram user who posted a video of the scene on social media, said that he overheard another passenger tell a flight attendant there was a pigeon on the plane. 'The pilot got on the mic and confirmed a pigeon was on the plane, and said he had no experience with the situation,' Caw wrote. Soon, airport staff boarded and carried said pigeon off to applause from passengers. But the drama was not over. 'The plane eventually pulled away and began taxiing to the runway,' Caw wrote. 'And then another pigeon emerged!' Video shows the scene after the second pigeon was discovered. A passenger can be seen holding up a jacket to block the bird, which was flying towards the back of the plane. The bird drops to the floor as a passenger screams in shock. Audio obtained by CNN captures the amused tone of the air traffic controller who was talking to the pilot after the second pigeon was discovered. 'There's a pigeon on the airplane, and it won't go away,' he repeats back. 'That's a first for me – wow.' Caw wrote that the pilot relayed the conversation back to passengers and had apparently told the air traffic control that 'it was the second time for him – the first being half an hour earlier'. Airport staff were able to safely remove the second bird from the plane once it taxied back to the gate. In a statement, Delta apologized for the disruptions and said that it 'appreciates the careful actions of our people and our customers to safely remove two birds from the aircraft prior to departure'. The flight from Minneapolis to Madison is about an hour long, something Caw noted when posting about the stowaway birds. 'They didn't know this flight to [Madison} is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service,' he wrote.
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27-05-2025
- Health
The Gross Reason You Shouldn't Wash Your Hands in Airplane Bathrooms
Flying is, without question, a modern marvel. The science, the engineering, and the service that goes into making your flight safe and special deserve all the praise in the world. However, two things can be true at once: flying can be fantastic and it can also be gross. That said, it may surprise you to learn that one of the grossest things you can do on a plane is wash your hands. It's well-documented that planes can be pretty dirty. As several flight attendants previously told Travel + Leisure , places like tray tables, overhead bins, and instruction cards can be rather dirty. But the airplane bathroom is the place where you should be the most cautious of all. "The toilets are regularly cleaned, but the locks and door handles are not," Josephine Remo, a flight attendant and travel blogger, shared. However, some experts say you should take things one step further and avoid the water in the bathrooms altogether—including never, ever drinking it, and maybe even skipping washing your hands with it, too. In a 2017 peer-reviewed study published in the Annals of Microbiology, researchers sampled 60 ice cubes from both domestic and industrial facilities that made ice for aircraft, finding they contained more than 50 different strains of bacteria. "A consistent percentage of the microorganisms identified from ice are known agents of human infections, and their presence indicates an environmental contamination,' the researchers added. 'My takeaway from doing the research was to not drink the coffee and the tea. At all,' Charles Platkin, the author of the study and the executive director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, previously told T+L. And, just as his team wrote in the findings, Platkin stated, 'I don't wash my hands either. I have wipes that I use." Platkin isn't alone. Shanina Knighton, a research associate professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, added, when using the bathroom, she's "mindful of surfaces, especially the latch on the bathroom door, which everyone uses to open the door—even if they haven't washed their hands." She added: "I try to avoid the restroom if possible, but on longer flights, it's sometimes unavoidable, and those little hygiene habits help me stay protected." Knighton said there are plenty of studies showing that water from airplane taps can carry bacteria, as "onboard water tanks aren't cleaned as frequently as you might think." These contaminants, Knighton noted, can wreck your vacation before you even arrive. "I wouldn't want to start a vacation with a stomach bug because of unsafe water exposure." So, what can you do instead? Remo said, "It's a good idea for passengers to use hand sanitizer after stowing away their luggage, touching anything in the seat pocket in front of them, and going to the bathroom." Then, give your hands a good scrub when you land.
