Delta Air Lines flight attendants will have to collect all airline-provided pre-departure drinks and related service items before aircraft pushback from 1 September 2026, after the Federal Aviation Administration moved to enforce an existing surface-movement rule more strictly. The change affects Delta’s systemwide operations in the United States and shortens the window for first-class and premium-cabin beverage service.
The procedure covers cups, glasses and other carrier-furnished items that would otherwise remain at passenger seats during taxi. It is expected to make pre-departure drink service harder to complete on busy narrowbody turns and may reduce the practice when boarding runs late. The underlying rule, FAR 121.577(a), prohibits moving an aircraft on the surface when airline-furnished food, beverage or tableware is still located at a passenger seat.
Industry coverage indicates the FAA recently removed a long-standing disposable-item distinction, bringing paper and plastic cups into the same operational requirement as reusable serviceware. Passengers may still carry onboard their own drinks if properly stowed, but Delta’s crews must clear the airline’s own service items before the aircraft leaves the gate.