Business class bed bug infestation grounds Air India planes

Bed bugs were reported by multiple passengers on Air India flights out of Newark, New Jersey. Photo / 123RF

Shocked passengers have reported being bitten by bed bugs in business class on Air India flights out Newark, New Jersey the United States in the last week.

On Twitter, Pravin Tonsekar said he and his family were seated in business class and posted a photo showing multiple bed bugs in the cabin.

@airindiain @sureshpprabhu @narendramodi_in Suresh Prabhuji - just arrived from New York on Air India 144 business class with family . All our seats infested with bed bugs . Sir , have heard of bed bugs on trains but shocked to experience on our maharaja and that too business pic.twitter.com/m2GnfOpTO3

— Pravin Tonsekar (@pat_tons) July 17, 2018

Air India offered its apologies, replying, "We are sorry to hear this, Mr. Pravin. Sharing the details with our maintenance team for corrective measures in this regard," the airline tweeted.

However Tonsekar hit out further, claiming his wife and daughters "had to suffer half of the journey sitting in economy seats with broken tables and inoperative TV" after crew moved them because of the bed bugs.

He also posted a picture showing how both his daughters were "badly bitten" all over their bodies.

Other passengers also reported seeing the insects on Air India flights, the Hindustan Times reported.

In another incident reported by the Times of India, an eight-month-old infant was bitten by bugs on a flight from Newark to Mumbai last Thursday.

@airindiain my wife and three kids flex business class AI 144 from Newark to mumbai; now they have bed bug bites all over their body; is this is what we paid $10,000 for???

— Rohan (@roscrow) July 19, 2018

Two days after Tonsekar's complaint, another passenger, Rohan, came forward on Twitter and wrote, "my wife and three kids [flew] business class AI 144 from Newark to mumbai; now they have bed bug bites all over their body; is this what we paid $10,000 for???"

Rohan said that once he arrived in India, his wife was prescribed 10 days of medication for the bites.

Following the reports, Air India told the Hindustan Times that the two aircrafts affected were grounded for one day each and fumigated, with seat covers replaced.