No you Sudo-can't, BA tells flight staff
October 28, 2005
2005 has been the year of the Sudoku in the UK. A year ago, few had heard of the obscure Japanese logic puzzles. Now, you can't get on a train or walk into a café without spying scores of addicts hunching over their puzzles.
However, while most people view Sudoku as a fairly constructive pastime, the same can't be said for bosses at British Airways.
Concerned that its flight staff were becoming so addicted to the puzzles that they were neglecting their duties, the airline has decided to ban staff from doing Sudoku during flights.
It's not just Sudoku which has fallen foul of the bosses. Flight attendants have also been forbidden from doing crosswords or any other puzzles and even from reading the paper.
It has sent an email round to all its staff informing them of the decision.
"May I remind you this is a critical phase of flight and these activities are forbidden. You must be extremely alert and vigilant," the email reads.
It is not known what penalties staff will face if caught furtively filling in the squares.
BA is believed to be the first airline to ban their staff from Sudoku, although all airlines stress the importance of being alert at all times to staff during flights.
So next time you tackle a Sudoku onboard a BA flight, try not to let the flight attendants see. You don't want to remind them what they're missing out on.
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