A US citizen has filed a lawsuit seeking $5 million in damages from EgyptAir, claiming that she suffered burns caused by spilling boiling hot tea while on an international flight. The incident occurred on February 18, while the plane was travelling from New York's "John F. Kennedy Airport" to Cairo. Specifically, the 35-year-old woman claims to have suffered injuries described as "serious" and "lasting" on her lower abdomen, the inside of her right thigh, and her buttocks when the tea she had just been served spilled on her during sudden turbulence. The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, highlights how the glass containing the beverage did not have a lid adequate to prevent spillage in conditions of flight instability, highlighting the Egyptian airline's failure to adopt basic safety measures.

In her complaint, the woman also claims that the tray on her seat was in such a state of deterioration that it did not guarantee the stability of the objects placed on it. Many of the other trays on the seats of the aircraft were in the same condition. In particular, it was highlighted that the tray in question did not remain in a horizontal position during its use. The complaint therefore also aimed to highlight the safety implications associated with poor or inadequate maintenance.