Cockroaches Found On Air India Flight AI180, Aircraft Taken Out Of Service At Kolkata

Air India cancelled Flight AI180 from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata in the early hours of Monday after passengers found cockroaches on their seats and food trays. The aircraft landed at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at around 2:00 AM and was immediately taken out of service.

The cabin crew shifted the affected passengers to different seats within the same cabin. After this, the airline arranged a deep cleaning of the plane at Kolkata during its scheduled fuel stop before sending the aircraft onward to Mumbai.

Air India Responds, Conducts Deep Cleaning, Flight Continues to Mumbai

An Air India spokesperson stated, “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. 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. Despite our regular fumigation efforts, insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations.”

Separate Delhi-Vijayawada Flight Aborts Take-Off Over Technical Issue

In a different case, another Air India aircraft also faced disruption on August 4. An A320 operating as Flight AI2576 from Delhi to Vijayawada aborted its take-off after a procedural error came to light.

The crew noticed the issue during pre-departure checks and decided to reject the take-off as a safety measure. Air India confirmed that the airline followed all standard protocols and ensured the safety of passengers on board. The aircraft remained grounded until a technical team inspected and cleared it for further operations.

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