Several passengers travelling on Newark-Mumbai Air India flights have complained of bed bugs in the Business Class over the past week, following which the airline has taken up fumigation of the aircraft to tackle the menace.
Officials said that passengers on multiple Air India flights out of Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, United States, have reported being bitten by bed bugs over the past week.
On Monday, Saumya Shetty, who arrived in Mumbai from Newark on AI-144 on July 18 with three children aged 6 years, 2.5 years and an infant, by Business Class, had to take medication for rashes that she developed due to the bug bites. Ms. Shetty’s case comes a day after Pravin Tonsekar took to social media to complain that he and his family had just arrived from AI 144 by Business Class, and all their seats were infested with bed bugs. “Sir, have heard of bed bugs on trains but shocked to experience on our maharaja and that too business,” Mr. Tonsekar said in a tweet marked to Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.
ADVERTISEMENT
Changing seats
Though Mr. Tonsekar’s family was shifted to the Economy Class — where his wife and children allegedly had to travel on seats with broken tray tables and a non-functional in-flight entertainment screen, Ms. Shetty as per her complaint, was only moved to another seat a little before landing.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ms. Shetty, who is visiting her family in Mumbai, is now covered with painful bites all over her arms, forearms, legs, ankles, back, neck and abdomen.
“I have written to so many Air India emails, and not received a single phone call,” Ms. Shetty said.
In a formal complaint to the airline, Ms. Shetty said: “This was a health and safety violation that should have been dealt with immediately.”
In a mail to Ms. Shetty on Monday, Air India said that the matter had been escalated for suitable action. A senior official said that the aircraft were being fumigated.