Try not to think about this the next time you need to pee on a plane.
Airbus is installing sensors throughout its aircraft so it can track everything passengers do. From how often seats are reclined to how many times the lavatory doors are unlatched. This will help them determine maintenance schedules and other things like how many supplies to take along. It could also reduce waste.
The International Air Transport Association, an industry trade group that represents most of the world’s airlines, estimated that carriers generated 5.7 million metric tons of cabin waste in 2017 and said due to growing numbers of passengers on board this could double by 2027.
CNBC 2019/9/11
But this data could also help them figure out how to monetize things they’re currently giving away for “free”. Could that include those impossibly tiny, one-ply squares of TP? Not likely, but they will gather a lot of bathroom-related information. The sensors, connected to onboard Wi-Fi, could also let passengers know how long the wait times are to use the can. How can they possibly know how long someone will take? Oh, right. More sensors.
Airbus says this is a test, this is only a test, and it’s scheduled to wrap up at the end of the year. Airbus planes are used primarily by airlines outside of North America, such as British Airways, Air France and Emirates. Just know that if you’re on one, someone’s tracking what you watch, what you consume and what you, ahem, let go.