"Insects Can Sometimes Enter": Cockroaches Found On Air India Flight From US

An Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai had a few unwanted and unchecked passengers on board, who were a nuisance to fellow fliers. These "unticketed" passengers were cockroaches, spotted by two Air India passengers. Accepting its mistake, the airlines, in a statement, said that "insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations." The two passengers were moved to other seats in the same cabin, ensuring comfort during the journey, the airlines informed.

The incident reportedly occurred on flight AI180, flying from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata. During the first leg of the flight, that is, till Kolkata, two passengers were "unfortunately" bothered by the presence of a "few small cockroaches on board", Air India said in a statement.

The passengers were moved to other seats in the same cabin for a comfortable journey.

A deep cleaning process was undertaken in Kolkata during a scheduled fuel stop, the service provider said.

"During the flight's scheduled fuel stop in Kolkata, our ground crew promptly conducted a deep cleaning process to address the issue. The same aircraft subsequently departed in time for Mumbai," the airline said.

Though the airlines accepted their mistake and apologised for "any inconvenience caused to the passengers," it trivialised the incident by saying, "Despite our regular fumigation efforts, insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations."

An investigation into the incident has been ordered to determine the source and cause, and further implement measures to prevent recurrence.

The incident comes on the heels of a Delhi-bound Air India flight from Bhubaneswar, which was cancelled on Sunday due to "high temperature" in the aircraft cabin before its departure.