Roach turbulence hits AI San Francisco-Mum flight
2
Kolkata: Air India issued an apology on Monday following reports of cockroaches on a long-haul international flight, causing distress to passengers and prompting two to change their seats to avoid the pests.
The airline announced it will conduct a comprehensive investigation to identify the source and cause of the incident, and implement measures to prevent its recurrence. This is the latest in a series of embarrassments in recent months that the airline has had to face over hygiene, service, maintenance and safety issues.
Passengers on board flight AI 180, which took off from San Francisco around 8 am local time on Saturday, encountered 'bug-turbulence' mid-air.
Two passengers affected by the presence of "a few small cockroaches" were relocated to other seats, the airline said.
The carrier also said a deep cleaning of the aircraft was undertaken during a technical halt in Kolkata in the early hours of Monday for refuelling. However, Kolkata airport officials disputed this, stating the plane landed at 12.33 am on Monday and departed at 2.30 am, and that passengers had not alighted from the aircraft, something that is necessary for deep cleaning.
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In its statement, Air India said, "Despite regular fumigation efforts, insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations". "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to the passengers," the airline added.
This incident marks another instance of roach issues on Air India flights. On Sept 28, 2024, a passenger reported cockroaches in food served on a Delhi-New York flight. Earlier, on April 20, 2024, one Uddhav Poddar took to social media to post photographs of roaches in the business class of flight AI 382 from Delhi to Singapore.
Issues with cockroaches are not unique to Air India, with passengers also complaining about cockroaches on IndiGo and Akasa Airlines flights. However, the frequency of complaints on AI flights, including delays, cancellations and service and maintenance concerns, has intensified pressure on the airline. Air India is already under scrutiny following the Dreamliner crash in June and findings of various safety violations in an audit by DGCA.
The San Francisco-Mumbai flight had previously experienced a left-engine snag on June 17, which forced the grounding of the aircraft. Passengers had been accommodated on other Mumbai-bound flights.
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1 2 Kolkata: Air India issued an apology on Monday following reports of cockroaches on a long-haul international flight, causing distress to passengers and prompting two to change their seats to avoid the pests. The airline announced it will conduct a comprehensive investigation to identify the source and cause of the incident, and implement measures to prevent its recurrence. This is the latest in a series of embarrassments in recent months that the airline has had to face over hygiene, service, maintenance and safety issues. Passengers on board flight AI 180, which took off from San Francisco around 8 am local time on Saturday, encountered 'bug-turbulence' mid-air. Two passengers affected by the presence of "a few small cockroaches" were relocated to other seats, the airline said. The carrier also said a deep cleaning of the aircraft was undertaken during a technical halt in Kolkata in the early hours of Monday for refuelling. However, Kolkata airport officials disputed this, stating the plane landed at 12.33 am on Monday and departed at 2.30 am, and that passengers had not alighted from the aircraft, something that is necessary for deep cleaning. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata In its statement, Air India said, "Despite regular fumigation efforts, insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations". "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to the passengers," the airline added. This incident marks another instance of roach issues on Air India flights. On Sept 28, 2024, a passenger reported cockroaches in food served on a Delhi-New York flight. Earlier, on April 20, 2024, one Uddhav Poddar took to social media to post photographs of roaches in the business class of flight AI 382 from Delhi to Singapore. Issues with cockroaches are not unique to Air India, with passengers also complaining about cockroaches on IndiGo and Akasa Airlines flights. However, the frequency of complaints on AI flights, including delays, cancellations and service and maintenance concerns, has intensified pressure on the airline. Air India is already under scrutiny following the Dreamliner crash in June and findings of various safety violations in an audit by DGCA. The San Francisco-Mumbai flight had previously experienced a left-engine snag on June 17, which forced the grounding of the aircraft. Passengers had been accommodated on other Mumbai-bound flights.
