MUMBAI: At least 11 persons, including six cabin crew members, felt dizzy and nauseated on an Air India flight from London to Mumbai on Monday, said sources. Air India confirmed the incident but said only five passengers and two crew members took ill.
The flight AI-130 was operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft. The aircraft that's under increased scrutiny following the Ahmedabad accident is Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The cause for the illness is under probe. Poor oxygen supply, which can lead to hypoxia, can cause nausea and dizziness on flights, as can food poisoning.
"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," said Air India in a statement. "The flight landed safely in Mumbai where our medical teams were ready to provide immediate medical assistance. After landing, two passengers and two cabin crew, who continued to feel unwell, were taken to the medical room for further examination and were later discharged. We are investigating the incident and have duly notified the regulator."
A source said a cabin depressurisation problem could cause lower levels of oxygen in the passenger cabin, but then oxygen masks drop from the overhead panel, which didn't happen during this flight. "So, drop in cabin pressurisation is not likely to be the cause." Food poisoning appears to be the more likely cause, said the source.
The pilots of the flight were not affected. "Pilots get their meal after the passengers have been served. They get the same food as the passengers. Earlier, the commander and the first officer would get separate meal trays, which came from two different kitchens. Serving pilots meals from different kitchens is a proactive safety measure grounded in aviation risk management. It ensures that a single point of failure in catering does not compromise both pilots, preserving flight safety through crew redundancy," the source said.