Air India health scare: 5 passengers, crew fall sick mid-air
What's the story
An Air India flight from London to Mumbai was marred by a health scare, with several feeling ill, dizzy, and nauseated on Monday. Multiple passengers and crew members were struck by symptoms consistent with food poisoning mid-air. While the airline confirmed that five passengers and two crew members fell ill during the journey, reports suggest up to 11 people were affected. The incident involved flight AI 130, operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft.
Safe landing
Flight AI 130 landed safely in Mumbai
Despite the health scare, flight AI 130 landed safely in Mumbai. Medical teams were on standby at the airport to provide immediate assistance to those affected. An Air India spokesperson said, "The flight landed safely in Mumbai, where our medical teams were ready to provide immediate assistance." Two passengers and two cabin crew members who continued to feel unwell after landing were taken for further examination and later discharged.
Ongoing investigation
Cause of illness still under investigation
The cause of the illness on board flight AI 130 is still under investigation. One possibility being considered is hypoxia, which can occur due to poor oxygen supply at high altitudes. However, since oxygen masks did not deploy during this flight, a pressurization problem seems unlikely. Food poisoning is another suspected cause of the incident.
Separate incident
Another Air India flight returned mid-air over GPS interference
In a separate incident on Monday, an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Jammu had to return mid-flight over a suspected GPS signal interference. An alternative aircraft was arranged for the passengers after the incident. The Airbus aircraft was scheduled to leave Delhi at 10:40am and took off at 11:04am with an expected landing in Jammu by 12:05pm. However, it returned safely to Delhi during the flight.