Overview
- The passenger, Nicholas Gibbs, says a lidless cup of hot coffee slid off a slanted tray table into his lap during a Virgin Atlantic flight and caused severe burns to his genitals.
- Gibbs and his partner flew from Las Vegas to Heathrow in December 2025, and he says initial onboard care was delayed, that crew members laughed while attending him, and that no medic or Virgin representative met him on landing.
- Hudgell Solicitors has been instructed to press a claim under the Montreal Convention, which can impose carrier liability for unusual or unexpected injuries suffered in the course of international carriage.
- Virgin Atlantic has apologised and said its crew are trained to serve hot drinks below boiling temperature in specially designed cups filled below the brim to reduce spill risk.
- Gibbs says the burns have healed but will leave lifelong scarring and have affected his ability to care for his mother and plans to start a family, and his case adds to growing scrutiny of tray-table design, lid use and in-flight drink safety.