Air India is facing fresh criticism after cockroaches were reportedly spotted inside the cabin of its flight AI180, which operates via Kolkata, raising renewed concerns over the airline’s hygiene and service standards.

“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,” Air India said in a statement.

The cabin crew immediately shifted the affected passengers to alternative seats in the same cabin, where they remained “comfortable thereafter,” the airline said.

During the scheduled fuel stop in Kolkata, the ground staff carried out a deep cleaning of the aircraft before the flight continued onwards to Mumbai.

“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,” the spokesperson added.

Air India stated that despite regular fumigation practices, insects can occasionally enter aircraft during ground operations. The airline has assured that a comprehensive investigation was underway to trace the source and implement stricter preventive measures.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused to the passengers,” the statement said.

Earlier in the day, passengers who were scheduled to fly from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi on Air India’s flight AI500 faced unexpected disruptions as the airline cancelled the service due to a technical issue.

Abnormal cabin temperatures on the ground was the reason behind the cancellation, said the airline.

“Flight AI500 scheduled to operate from Bhubaneswar to Delhi on August 3 has been cancelled due to a technical issue causing high cabin temperature on the ground prior to the departure," the airline said in a statement.

In September 2024, a passenger on an Air India flight from Delhi to New York claimed she found a cockroach in her omelette. She posted on X, “Found a cockroach in the omelette served to me on the @airindia flight. My 2-year-old finished more than half of it with me when we found this.”

She later said that she suffered from food poisoning.

Air India responded by asking for her booking details and assured that an investigation was underway.