File photo used for representation only

MUMBAI: Debt-ridden national carrier Air India has hit a new low with bed bugs in its business class. The bugs left an infant covered in bites and bleeding on its premium Newark-Mumbai 17-hour flight on Thursday.

Air India had received complaints about bugs in business class seats earlier this week but it appears to have ignored them.

A father had complained on Tuesday about bites his two daughters suffered on the same AI-144 flight. Both flights were operated by different Boeing 777 aircraft, indicating that the infestation is not limited to an aircraft.

A business class return ticket on AI-144 flight, which flies nonstop between India and US, costs over Rs 2 lakh. Sources said the incident came to light when the passengers were woken up in preparation for landing.

“As the eight-month-old infant had been crying, the distressed mother removed the child’s clothes and found numerous bite marks all over,” the source said. The infant and his mother were on seats 12 and 14.

“They were on seats next to each other. Flights don’t have seat 13 but it still proved unlucky for the infant,” said a source.

A part of the duvet was mottled with blood. “Bed bugs were seen crawling even on the white tablecloth while it was being cleared,” the source added.

The incident left business class passengers enraged and the onward journey of the flight’s Mumbai-Delhi leg was delayed from 6pm to 9.55pm.

An AI spokesperson said the airline “will investigate and revert”. The national carrier did not bother with the bugs even though the Prime Minister and minister for civil aviation were tagged in a tweet sent by the aggrieved father.

“All our seats infested with bed bugs. Sir, have heard of before bugs in trains, but shocked to experience on our Maharaja, that too business,” tweeted Pravin Tonsekar. “My both daughters were badly bitten all over body,” the tweet added.

