Though tray tables on flights provide passengers with tons of convenience, they cannot be left unstowed during take-off and landing, much less with trays of food on them.
Recently, however, a Thai TikTok user @praewa_panicha posted a video showing her and her friends’ food trays not being collected prior to the Singapore-Bangkok flight’s landing.
Thai Airways has since issued a statement claiming they’re “urgently investigating” the matter.
In her TikTok clip, Ms Praewa described how she almost “got stuck in the aeroplane” because the flight attendant did not clear her and her friends’ trays before the plane landed.
The video featured the TikTok user and her two friends’ trays being left on the foldable tables during the landing.
Source: @praewa_panicha on TikTok
At the start of the video, a bottle can also be seen falling off one of the trays.
Source: @praewa_panicha on TikTok
In a voiceover, she said in Thai, “While the plane was landing, the stuff on the tray table was falling off around.”
In a subsequent TikTok clip, Ms Praewa reportedly shared that she and her friends were surprised to hear the pilot telling the cabin crew to prepare for landing while their trays were still on the table.
Source: @praewa_panicha on TikTok
In fact, the group had to hold the trays in place to prevent making a mess.
According to The Nation Thailand, Ms Praewa had pressed the ‘call button’ to catch the flight attendant’s attention, but no one responded to her call.
Ms Praewa also shared through her voiceover that the food trays were still not cleared even after the plane landed.
According to CNA, Ms Praewa shared that no one from the crew performed checks to ensure the trays were stowed.
She also shared in a comment that she had to leave her seat after landing to inform a flight attendant of their situation.
The crew member apparently responded with shock and was apologetic.
The airline’s failure to ensure all trays are stowed before landing is a direct violation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s regulations, which spell out: “No operator may move an aircraft on the surface, take off, or land unless each food and beverage tray and seat back tray table is secured in its stowed position.”
Thai news network The Thaiger reported that the airline released a statement on 18 Feb to address the issue.
In their statement, Thai Airways shared that they were aware of the incident. They emphasised that they would “not be complacent in investigating this incident that may have occurred due to many reasons.”
Source: Thai Airways on Facebook
The company emphasised that it holds passengers’ safety with utmost importance and that its cabin crew has a checklist to ensure the orderliness of the cabin prior to take-off and landing.
We’re glad there were no serious injuries as a result of this incident. Meanwhile, we hope Thai airlines conducts a thorough investigation to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
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Featured images adapted from @praewa_panicha on TikTok and TikTok.
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