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New Delhi: Air India has launched a comprehensive investigation after passengers on a flight from San Francisco to Mumbai reported spotting small cockroaches onboard. The incident occurred on flight AI180, which was operated using a Boeing 777 aircraft and had a scheduled fuel stop in Kolkata early Monday morning.
According to an Air India spokesperson, two passengers were disturbed by the presence of a few small cockroaches during the journey. “Our cabin crew, therefore, relocated the two passengers to other seats in the same cabin, where they were comfortable thereafter,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
Upon arrival at Kolkata airport for the scheduled stop, the airline's ground crew conducted a deep cleaning of the aircraft. Following the cleaning process, the flight departed for Mumbai on time.
“Despite our regular fumigation efforts, insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations,” the spokesperson explained, adding that Air India would undertake a thorough investigation to determine the source of the cockroaches and implement corrective measures to prevent future incidents.
The airline expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to the passengers. However, details regarding the total number of passengers onboard were not available.
With PTI inputs