British Airways removes bottled water from flights

It’s nearly 30°C on the tarmac and you just boarded the short-haul British Airways flight from London. As you put on your seatbelt and wait for the plane to depart, you ask for a drink of water. There isn’t. Cabin crews inform passengers that water is no longer available for short-haul flights due to a shortage. What’s an alternative? The alternative is to give you the top water that comes from the sink, which is only a few meters from the toilet. It’s technically fine but more mentally draining.

British Airways confirmed on June 21st 2025 that certain flights departing London Heathrow Gatwick City will not carry bottled drinking water because of short-term logistics disruptions. It was said to be a temporary solution, but it has become a gaping hole between perception and expectation, with the list of essentials in flight quietly disappearing. What exactly happened and how long will this last? Let’s look at the details.

British Airways confirms

British Airways confirmed the disruption for Friday, June 21st, 2025 and added:

• The passengers will still be able to drink water but it won’t be in bottles
• Instead, cabin crew were instructed that filtered drinking water would be served by the aircraft’s system.
• Here’s the question: What kind passenger would drink tap water from a toilet? 

The tap water on aircrafts has longstanding issues with its PR, despite meeting safety standards. What matters is not what’s in water, but where it comes. It doesn’t matter how many filtering steps the water goes through if it comes from a tank attached to a tiny tap in a lab.

On social media, the reactions ranged from being furious that it’s 2025 and you’re still paying £200 for a flight, to being told to drink tap water.

Explaining to passengers that they are giving them tap water must be a very uncomfortable experience for flight attendants. British Airways is the UK Flagship airline, with a reputation for service. This did not happen on a no-frills carrier. The passengers are now not only thirsty but also insulted.

Safety vs perception 

The tap water on British Airways, in technical terms, is tested, purified, and certified to be safe for drinking. That’s not the real point, isn’t it? Most passengers make their decisions not based on lab reports, but rather based upon the context of the situation and how they feel. 

• It is not acceptable to drink water that has been dispensed in a paper cup centimetres away from the laboratory door. This is especially true if you have paid for full service.
• British Airways has spent years marketing itself as an airline that is comfortable, polished and reliable. 
• A sealed bottle of water is an untouchable, reliable and consistent commodity.

It’s not just a problem with the supply, but a PR disaster to remove hydration in the middle of a hot spell. Even passengers who are not used to drinking bottled water will be a little uncomfortable. 

What you can and should do to help the airline industry

Hydration is important on hot summer flights and trust has already been eroded. Flyers have received the message that British Air is sending with this change: You’re no longer worth a bottle.

 What you can do in the interim:

• Bring a reusable water bottle. Heathrow still has a limit on liquids. Fill it up after you’ve passed through security. Some terminals have fountains.
• It is important to remove the assumption that all-service flights include full service. Check in advance, especially for short-haul flights.
• Consider ordering hot drinks if you are concerned about the hygiene of your flight, since they use separate heated and filtered systems.

This is ultimately about value, expectation, and respect. Because when a customer is frustrated and thirsty on a flight at 38,000 ft, they don’t see an issue with supply. They see an aircraft that has forgotten basic necessities. 

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