Woman Gets On Atlantic Airlines Flight. Then She Sees Someone Getting A Tattoo—Right From Their Seat

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen on a flight?

Most of the time, flights are (thankfully) pretty calm. You get from point A to point B without issue—even if it means having to endure a few crying babies.

However, air travel can sometimes be especially wild. Someone may have a good, old-fashioned in-flight freakout, or your plane might be home to an unwelcome guest.

But no matter how crazy your wildest flight was, it likely doesn’t hold a candle to this. Passengers on a recent Atlantic Airways flight allege that someone was doing tattoos aboard the plane—and they’ve got video to prove it.

Are They Seriously Doing Tattoos On This Flight?

In a video with over 5 million views, TikTok user Mikaela Nilsson (@mikaelavnilsson) shows what she says is an Atlantic Airways flight.

“Never seen snakes on a plane, but I have seen this,” she writes in the video’s overlay text.

The video then shows an artist doing tattoos on someone. A crowd has gathered to observe the tattooing, with many filming the experience on their phones.

Nilsson also posted the video to Instagram, where it went similarly viral.

Is This Even Real?

It appears that this really did happen. In an Instagram post, the tattoo artist—a Danish man named Jones Larsen—shared photos of himself doing not just one, but several tattoos while in mid-air.

“Apparently tattooing at 10 km altitude on a plane is also something I can cross off the list now,” the caption reads in part.

The post also tags Danish activewear company Bareen. This brand, too, made an Instagram post about the mid-flight tattooing—though the extent of their involvement is unclear.

But if you’re just wondering if this actually happened, the answer is yes. Posts from Bareen, the artist, and other people on the flight have all confirmed that Larsen really did give people tattoos on an Atlantic Airways flight.

In a comment under Nilsson’s Instagram post, Larsen confirmed that a total of nine people received tattoos on the plane.

The Tattoo Artist Responds

In an Instagram direct message exchange, Larsen said he did not originally plan to tattoo people on the flight.

“The idea came up spontaneously on the flight home after tattooing had already been part of the Bareen Training Tour in Fuerteventura. Bareen had chartered the entire plane, so it was a closed group,” he explained. “We spoke with the flight crew beforehand and only went ahead with their permission and during cruise, following their instructions.”

Larsen added that proper hygiene was observed during the whole process.

“I’ve been tattooing professionally for around 15 years, so we took hygiene seriously—professional equipment, single-use materials, gloves, barriers and cleaning before and after,” he shared.

“No alcohol was involved and nobody paid for the tattoos,” Larsen added. “It was just a fun little gimmick that ended up getting way more attention than we ever expected.”

It’s Not The First Time This Has Happened

Unbelievably, this isn’t the first time that an artist has done a tattoo mid-air.

In 2022, an artist named Asher claimed that he gave his seatmate a tattoo mid-flight after getting permission from the crew. According to Asher, he was having a conversation with his seatmate when she mentioned that she was interested in getting a tattoo, though she was unsure where to do it. Asher then offered to tattoo her, mostly as a joke. To his surprise, she accepted.

“At first, it was just a casual suggestion, but as we continued talking, it seemed like she was very eager and comfortable with that experience, and she seemed to be looking for adventure on the trip,” Asher told BuzzFeed.

He further claimed that he got permission from a flight attendant to do it. As for whether it’s the best place to get some ink, Asher admitted it’s “not the most sanitary place to be doing tattoos.”

Can You Bring Tattoo Equipment On A Plane?

It should be said that an airplane is usually not an ideal place to have a tattoo done. Planes are notoriously dirty—making them pretty bad places to have a needle shoved in your arm.

That said, it’s not surprising that an artist was able to bring their gun onto a plane. According to the TSA, tattoo guns are allowed in both carry-on and checked luggage. That said, devices with lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries should be placed in a carry-on.

Other tattoo materials, such as ink and needles, can similarly be brought aboard a plane, so long as they meet TSA standards.

In fact, many tattoo artists recommend carrying their gear on-board to ensure that it is properly handled. That way, they can land knowing that their gear is fully intact.

Viewers Don’t Like It

In the comments section, some users expressed skepticism about the whole thing.

“That’s definitely getting infected,” a user wrote.

“As a flight attendant, absolutely not,” offered another.

Others were shocked that this was allowed on a flight in the first place.

“On my last flight, the lady yelled at me because my seat back was reclined,” recalled a commenter.

“I couldn’t bring my bagels from the city in my carry-on, but a tattoo gun is fine,” stated a second.

BroBible reached out to Mikaela Nilsson via Instagram direct message and email, Larsen via Instagram direct message and website contact form, Bareen via email, and Atlantic Airways via email.