Whereas larger airlines often hire dedicated cabin cleaners to tackle the aircraft between guests, “Generally on low-cost carriers, the flight attendants will have to clean the planes themselves,” says Catrina McGrail, a former flight attendant and creator of the 24 Hours Layover travel blog.

The short answer is yes, but the extent of the cleaning depends on the airline's business model and the specific situation. On "Full Service" carriers (like Delta, Emirates, or British Airways), specialized ground crews usually perform a "deep clean" of the cabin between flights. In these cases, flight attendants are primarily responsible for "cabin tidying"—straightening seatbelts, removing obvious trash from seat pockets, and ensuring the lavatories stay presentable during the flight. However, on "Low-Cost Carriers" (LCCs) like Ryanair, Southwest, or Spirit, flight attendants often have cleaning duties written into their contracts to help the airline achieve fast "turnaround times" (sometimes as short as 20 minutes). These crews will walk through the cabin with trash bags and wipe down tray tables themselves to save on the cost of hiring external ground cleaners. Regardless of the airline, all flight attendants are expected to handle "biohazard" cleanups (like mid-flight illness) if they occur during the journey. In 2026, increased hygiene standards mean that many crews also perform routine sanitization of high-touch surfaces as part of their safety and service protocols.