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At least seven people, including five passengers and two cabin crew members, fell ill on board Air India flight AI-130 from London Heathrow to Mumbai on Monday, June 24, with symptoms of dizziness and nausea, airline officials confirmed. Airline officials suspect food poisoning as the likely cause. The matter is currently under investigation, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been notified.
Initial concerns included the possibility of cabin depressurisation or low oxygen supply. However, as oxygen masks did not deploy during the flight, officials have ruled out loss of cabin pressure. “So, drop in cabin pressurisation is not likely to be the cause,” a source told The Times of India.
Air India, in a statement issued to Hindustan Times, said, “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. The flight landed safely in Mumbai where our medical teams were ready to provide immediate medical assistance.”
Upon arrival at Mumbai’s Terminal 2, two passengers and two crew members who continued to feel unwell were taken to the airport’s medical room for examination. They were later discharged.
The pilots of the Boeing 777 aircraft were unaffected. Reports suggested that pilots get their meal after the passengers have been served, and that they get the same food as the passengers.
The aircraft involved, a Boeing 777, is not the same model – Boeing 787 Dreamliner – that was recently involved in an incident at Ahmedabad, but the investigation continues amid heightened scrutiny of Air India's operations.