Passengers on an Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai were greeted with an unwelcome surprise when cockroaches were spotted scuttling about the cabin. The insects made their appearance on Flight AI180, which stopped in Kolkata for refueling before continuing on its journey. Air India has since apologized for the incident, which came to light after the aircraft landed in Kolkata, and passengers took to various platforms to voice their discomfort.
The national carrier confirmed to local media outlets, including the The Times of India, that two passengers were "unfortunately bothered by the presence of a few small cockroaches on board." In response, cabin crew relocated the affected individuals to other seats within the same cabin. Despite this mitigation, the presence of the pests raised questions about the aircraft’s sanitation standards, compelling Air India to address them promptly.
Air India regretted the "unfortunate" incident and took action to rectify the situation. During the stop in Kolkata, ground staff carried out what the airline called a "deep cleaning process." "During the fuel stop scheduled for the flight in Kolkata, our ground staff immediately went for a deep cleaning process to eliminate the problem," Air India stated in an explanation, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The airline assured that the same aircraft departed on time for Mumbai, adhering to its original schedule.
The airline admitted that such occurrences can happen despite routine fumigation practices, "Despite our regular fumigation efforts, insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations," Air India mentioned. In a continuing effort to get to the bottom of the infestation, the airline stated that a "comprehensive investigation" is underway to identify the source and prevent future incidents, as cited by the San Francisco Chronicle.
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