No toilet breaks allowed mid-flight, is CemAir’s new policy a trend or torture?
Imagine being aboard a small commercial plane for nearly two hours and you urgently need to use the bathroom, only to find that the only toilet on the plane is sealed shut with tape, with a sign declaring it closed.
That’s what will happen if you choose to fly on a smaller plane with commercial airline CemAir.
One of the aircraft used is a CemAir Beechcraft 1900D. It’s a twin turboprop engine plane with a range of 2500 km and can carry two crew members and 19 passengers to destinations such as Johannesburg to Maun in Botswana.
A flight from Johannesburg to Maun takes about one hour and 45 minutes, plus the time to board and taxi to and from the gate.
Could it be possible that male passengers hypothetically face the necessity of using a bottle to relieve themselves, and imagine the potential embarrassment for female travelers who may find the situation equally as distressing?
CemAir operates 26 aircraft from OR Tambo International and is popular for tourists who are heading to safari destinations who are flying in on British Airways, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Egypt Air, Proflight Zambia, and LAVA Mozambique.
Passengers are warned before boarding to use the airport toilets.
Water and alcohol were provided on a self-service basis on CemAir flights.
The airline is a full member of IATA, the International Air Transport Association.
Katherine Kaczynska, Corporate Communications Manager from IATA says “There is no specific regulation addressing this because a lavatory is not categorized as safety equipment. As such, the airline's decision to adopt such a policy does not contravene any regulatory requirements.
The implications of a policy restricting lavatory use primarily affect passenger comfort and their overall experience, which falls outside our regulatory scope. The determination of whether this policy is reasonable rests with the airline's management team“.
Sarene.Kloren@IOL.co.za
IOL