KOLKATA: An Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai took off with cockroaches, prompting the crew members to relocate two passengers to other seats in mid-air.
The incident reportedly occurred on Air India flight AI180, which operates from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata.
The airline said that two passengers on board complained of the presence of cockroaches, following which their seats were changed by the crew members.
Issuing a statement on August 4, Air India said, “On flight AI180 from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata, two passengers were unfortunately bothered by the presence of a few small cockroaches on board. Our cabin crew, therefore, relocated the two passengers to other seats in the same cabin, where they were comfortable thereafter.”
The flight had a scheduled stop at Kolkata for refuelling.
During its stay in Kolkata, the ground staff at the NSCBI airport promptly conducted a deep cleaning process to address the issue, and the same aircraft subsequently departed in time for Mumbai, the statement added.
Offering an apology for any inconvenience caused to the passengers, an Air India spokesperson said, “Despite our regular fumigation efforts, insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations. Air India will be undertaking a comprehensive investigation to determine the source and the cause of this incident and implement measures to prevent recurrence.”