Frustrated flyer complains about 'farting passenger'

A fellow passenger's flatulence can ruin a flight. Photo / 123RF

A desperate note passed to a flight attendant certainly proves that modern air travel can be a little too close for comfort.

Recently, a passenger's flatulence became so overwhelming that another flyer resorted to asking a flight attendant to intervene, by way of a handwritten note on a napkin.

Reddit user Garwee20 posted an image of the note online and wrote, "My flight attendant mom got this napkin from an upset passenger".

"I don't know if you can make an announcement," it read, "but if you can you should say that whoever is farting in the area of rows 10 to 12 should definitely see a doctor because they might have a** cancer."

Photo / Imgur, Garwee20

However, it might not necessarily be the passenger's fault.

While on a longhaul flight to New Zealand, University of Copenhagen clinical professor Jacob Rosenberg noticed his stomach was more bloated than usual - leading to an increase in farting.

"Since then, I've noticed just how much flatulence you have on a flight," he told the BBC. "Which is very much."

This increase in flatulence comes down to physics - as the pressure drops in the cabin, air must expand to fill the extra space.

According to one study, over 60 per cent of pilots experience abdominal bloating.

While filters on planes do contain odour-absorbing carbon, perhaps a new concept from a teenage inventor could solve this smelly problem.

Raymond Wang discovered that air circulated the cabin several times before it was filtered out.

His specially designed filters could fit into existing air design and offer passengers "personalised breathing zones", no matter where they are sitting.

It's a concept that might have come in handy back in 2006, when a US flight was grounded due to a farting passenger lighting matches in an attempt to cover up the smell.