Confusion As Airport Worker Appears To Guide Plane ‘On a Leash’—Here’s Why
May 8, 2025
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A video showing an airport worker appearing to pull a plane “on a leash” across a tarmac has gone viral on TikTok, sparking hilarious debate over the strange protocol.
The clip was posted by Elly Xia (@elly.xia), a 24-year-old musician from Hamburg, Germany, who lives in London. The video was taken from onboard a Ryanair aircraft on the ground at London Stansted Airport around 2:30 p.m. local time on April 30, Xia told Newsweek. The clip has amassed 24.2 million views since it was shared on May 4.
Text overlaid on the clip says: “Can some plane nerd pls explain to me what the use of a dude holding a 90000lbs of plane on a leash is?”
The video features a view through a plane window, showing an airport worker standing outside the aircraft, wearing headphones with a long cord that appears to be attached to the plane. The worker is shown holding the cord up while moving along with the plane.
“What does it do?” Xia asks in the caption.
A stock image of an airport worker wearing headphones with a long cord, pictured standing near the nose of a plane. A stock image of an airport worker wearing headphones with a long cord, pictured standing near the nose of a plane. iStock / Getty Images Plus
The post received thousands of comments from other TikTok users trying to solve the mystery behind the cord attached to the plane.
Former airline pilot Dan Bubb, who is a historian and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, settled the viral conundrum. He told Newsweek that this “leash” is just a headphone cord forming the communication line between the worker and crew on board the plane.
Bubb explained: “The airport worker likely is communicating with the flight crew in the cockpit through the cable that he is pulling. That is how ground crew workers communicate with the pilots when the planes are at the gate or being pushed away from the gate in preparation for departure.”
The viral post comes amid an air traffic control (ATC) staffing shortage that the Federal Aviation Administration has been facing for years and has been trying to incentivize people to become controllers.
Issues with ATC staffing came under the spotlight after the fatal mid-air collision earlier this year between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C. that killed 67 people, with concerns raised about safety protocols.
‘First Time Seeing That’
Xia, who was traveling from London Stansted to Hamburg International Airport to film a music video for her new song at the time of the clip, told Newsweek: “I can only remember seeing it [the airport worker with the cord] for about 10 minutes, it was my first time seeing that.”
The viral clip sparked colorful debate among TikTok users who shared some creative theories on the reasons behind the unusual scene.
Sequoia said: “Maybe cause he’s a responsible plane owner and doesn’t want it possibly attacking other planes???”
12ben121 noted: “The plane is probably new on that airport. Bro is going to introduce him to the other planes.”
User tucansamiam wrote: “Aerodynamics expert here, he actually runs with the rope to get it airborne like a kite.”
User awestin_the_pilot said: “Pilot here. The clip apparently cuts off before he does his job. He pulls the line really hard a few times to start the engines. Think like a lawn mower. Hope this helps!”
Ellie suggested: “He’s holding on to the rope because the plane is a flight risk.”
Goat wrote: “It’s for reassurance. It must be a nervous plane. He’s just holding his cable to make him feel more comfortable and confident. It might be his first flight.”
Marla Lena agreed, saying it is an “emotional support airplane.”
Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
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