What happened
The FAA revised its guidance as of May 27, 2026 and now expects crews to collect airline paper cups and plastic glasses before pushback, not during taxi. Those disposables had been excepted from FAR 121.577(a), a 1992 rule that already barred service items at passenger seats once the aircraft is moving.
The FAA says attendants should stay alert to safety issues and not be distracted by service while the aircraft is moving on the ground. It argues leftover food-service litter can create poor footing in an evacuation. Airline-issued cups must be collected. Drinks passengers bring themselves are not treated the same way. One Mile at a Time notes enforcement of the disposable-cup piece is now starting after 34 years without a mechanism.
Pre-departure drinks on U.S. flights already come in a short window, and that window now ends before taxi. Plan on handing the cup back before pushback.
- Announced
- May 27, 2026
- Starts
- May 27, 2026
- Numbers
- 1992 year: year the surface-movement service-item rule has been on the books
- 35 years: approximate time until disposable cups lost their exception
- 34 years: gap the author cites between the rule and enforcement
- Takeaway
- Nothing to book or register for; just expect cups to be collected before pushback.