Why this Russian airline just banned gum

By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

Packs of Wrigley chewing gum are displayed in Westerville, O
UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 06: Packs of Wrigley chewing gum are displayed in Westerville, Ohio, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007. Mars Inc. and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. may be close to buying Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. for more than $22 billion in a deal that would combine two of the biggest U.S. candy makers, the Wall Street Journal reported. (Photo by Gary Gardiner/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Photograph by Gary Gardiner — Bloomberg via Getty Images

A low-cost Russian airline just announced a ban on chewing gum. The reason? The cost to clean it up from inside its airplanes is just way too much.

The airline, Pobeda, says that cleaning up gum left behind by passengers costs up to $1,700 per piece, the BBC reported. “We have imposed a ban on chewing gum since the middle of June due to losses sustained by the airline,” according to a Pobeda spokeswoman to the publication.

And that’s not all the airline has to complain about either, apparently. Passengers are also reportedly stealing equipment from the plans, including life jackets.