<I>everything be</I> NAKED

Travel company charters naked flight

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Those who like to bare it all on the beach can get a head start stripping in the air.

A travel agency that specializes in clothing-optional vacations has chartered a 172-seat Boeing 727 for a flight from Miami to Cancun in May. Once the plane reaches its cruising altitude, passengers will be invited to disrobe.

Castaways Travel of Spring, Texas, is touting the trip as the world's first flight for nude passengers. The crew will be clad and the temperature inside the plane's cabin will be regulated to accommodate the nudists, Castaways co-owner Jim Bailey said.

"People are looking for stress relief," Bailey said. "In a nudist environment, everyone is the same."

Vacationers will stay at a nudist resort for a week. Rooms start at $910 weekly, plus $499 for the flight, according to the company's Web site.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said there are no regulations specifically banning nudity aboard an aircraft. "It's not a safety issue," she said.

Some safety issues are being addressed, however -- no hot drinks or hot food will be served to nude passengers. And all nude travelers will be asked to keep a towel between themselves and the plane seat.