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Jet Airways offloads cleaning mops as fliers raise hygiene issues
Jet Airways has offloaded toilet mops from its list of cleaning items for cabin restrooms after the airline received complaints from passengers that the mops were kept in public view, raising hygiene issues.
Jet Airways has offloaded toilet mops from its list of cleaning items for cabin restrooms after the airline received complaints from passengers that the mops were kept in public view, raising hygiene issues.
The airline, catering to more than one out of four domestic fliers (according to the number of passengers flown by it in March), recently decided to stop using mops for cleaning the in-flight restrooms.
On May 11, the airline's service and delivery department issued an email informing the cabin crew that it would stop loading mops onboard Jet Airways flights. Hindustan Times has reviewed the email.
The email cited frequent cases of the crew having abandoned the mops in public view, which led to many complaints from fliers. "We have discontinued the uplift of mops which were being used to clean the lavatory floors as the mops were being left behind in clear view of the guests resulting in escalating guests' complaints about lack of hygiene," the email read.
"Since the mops have been discontinued, paper tissues or napkins will be used to keep the lavatory floors clean," it added.
The move was confirmed by the airline's spokesperson. "We regularly review our processes to improve service standards and guest experience onboard our flights. We have provided the crew with thick, disposable paper towels, plastic gloves to enable them to keep the lavatories floors clean in an efficient and hygienic way," said the spokesperson.
Jet Airways' frequent passengers have lauded the airline's move. "I think it is the right practice and is a welcome change," said Sudhakar Reddy, national president with the Air Passengers' Association of India (APAI), a non-profit body formed by frequent air travellers.
In 2014, toilet mops were blamed for causing cabin flooding onboard a Qantas flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne forcing the pilot to return to LA as almost 40% of the aircraft's potable water supply was wasted. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's investigation in the matter found that strands of mops could have rotated water pipe couplings at the floor level causing the leak.
