Emergency cleaning was carried out after cockroaches were spotted on an Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai
New Delhi: After cockroaches were discovered in a San Francisco-Mumbai Air India aircraft during flight, the company apologized and quickly took remedial action. As a result, the aircraft underwent an emergency thorough cleaning on Monday.
The incident happened on aircraft AI180, which was traveling via Kolkata from San Francisco to Mumbai.
“Unfortunately, two passengers on flight AI180 from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata were bothered by the presence of a few small cockroaches on board,” reads an official statement from Air India. In order to ensure their comfort, our cabin staff moved the two customers to different seats inside the same cabin.
The airline verified that the aircraft was properly cleaned to address the problem during the flight’s planned fuel stop in Kolkata.” To solve the problem, our ground personnel quickly carried out a thorough cleaning procedure. The statement said, “The same aircraft then took off in time for Mumbai.”
Even with routine fumigation protocols, Air India admitted that “insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations.”
Air India declared an official investigation in reaction to the event. “In order to identify the origin and reason of this occurrence and put preventative measures in place, Air India will be conducting a thorough investigation. We really regret any inconvenience that the travelers may have had.
The airline has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining passenger comfort and hygienic conditions across its fleet.
In the meanwhile, Air India claimed in a statement that a “maintenance task identified prior to departure, which required additional time for rectification,” was the reason behind the cancellation of flight AI349. The aircraft was supposed to leave Singapore for Chennai on Sunday.
It said that it was making “every possible effort to minimize the inconvenience” that this unplanned interruption had caused to the passengers.
“Flight AI349, which was supposed to leave Singapore for Chennai on August 3, has been canceled because a maintenance issue was discovered before takeoff and took more time to fix. In a statement posted on X, the Air India spokesperson said, “Our ground colleagues in Singapore are doing everything they can to minimize the inconvenience caused to the passengers due to this unforeseen disruption.” According to the statement, plans were made to get the passengers to Chennai as soon as possible.
In addition to hotel accommodations, guests may choose between free rescheduling or full reimbursements in the event of cancellation. The statement went on to say, “Passenger and crew safety and well-being continue to be Air India’s top priorities.”
Additionally, the airline recommended that travelers use Air India’s official website and customer support channels to keep informed.