A New Report Reveals Why You Should Definitely BYO Coffee...

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about Some icky findings, to say the least.

You’ve got time to kill on a flight, so it only makes sense to kick back with a soothing warm sip while you binge-watch Emily in Paris . But, a pretty gross new report suggests you might want to BYO beverage the next time you fly. (wild, right?)

Otherwise, you run the risk of accidentally tossing back bacteria that can make you sick.

The Details

That’s the major takeaway from the 2026 Airline Water Study dropped for Food as Medicine and Longevity. The report breaks down the water quality on a slew of major and regional airlines, and the findings suggest there’s a lot of H2O out there that’s not up to water safety standards.

While you’re probably not drinking water straight out of the tap on a flight, odds are high that the coffee and tea you enjoy mid-flight is made with the same stuff. Here’s what the report found, plus what toxicologists want you to know.

Why This Matters

Meet the the experts : Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD , is a toxicologist at MedStar Health. Jamie Alan, PhD , is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University What did the report find? For the report, researchers collected water samples from planes from 10 major and 11 regional airlines over a three-year period ( through ).

Medical professionals are taking note of this development.

Key Takeaways

• Based on what the researchers detected, each airline was given a “Water Safety Score,” with 5 being the best and 0 being the worse.
• 5 or higher suggests that the airline has relatively safe, clean water and earns a Grade A or B.
• ) Delta Air Lines And Frontier Airlines had the best scores, respectively, both with a Grade A.
• Alaska Airlines came in at a close third and Grade B.

The Bottom Line

Coli violations across the airlines during the study period. Coli-contaminated water can lead to everything from severe diarrhea and vomiting to kidney failure.

How do you feel about this development?