UP to 11 passengers and crew reportedly fell ill with food poisoning on a nine-hour Air India flight from London.
In the latest blunder for the airline, passengers said they felt dizzy and nauseous on the hellish flight to Mumbai on Monday.
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Air India confirmed the incident but said just five passengers and two crew members were ill.
But earlier eyewitness accounts suggested as many as 11 people, including six crew, were affected.
Air India said in a statement to Hindustan Times: “On board flight AI-130 from London Heathrow to Mumbai, five passengers and two crew reported feeling dizzy and nauseous during different phases of the flight.
“Our medical experts were prepared to offer prompt medical aid after the airplane safely touched down in Mumbai.
“Two passengers and two cabin staff members who were still feeling ill after landing were brought to the hospital room for additional testing before being released. We have informed the regulator and are looking into the incident.”
The Boeing 777 landed safely in Mumbai, with medical teams on standby.
Two passengers and two crew members who still had symptoms after landing were rushed to the airport’s medical facility for observation and tests and were later discharged.
The airline has informed aviation regulators and says a full investigation is underway.
Initial theories about a cabin pressurisation issue were dismissed, as oxygen masks did not deploy during the flight.
An expert familiar with the situation noted that food poisoning is now considered a more plausible cause.
Common symptoms like vertigo and queasiness can also result from low oxygen levels, but this scenario seems unlikely in this case.
While they consume the same meals as passengers, standard aviation safety practices often include serving the commander and first officer food prepared in separate kitchens to reduce risk in such situations.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of in-flight safety protocols.
Just yesterday, an Air India flight en route from Birmingham to Delhi was forced to divert to Riyadh following a worrying bomb threat, airline officials said.
The threat came after the horror Air India disaster in Ahmedabad earlier this month, which killed all but one passengers and crew.
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