A strange and unpleasant scene took place on an AirAsia flight from Malaysia to China when a woman passenger allegedly defecated on her seat, leaving other passengers sitting next to her on the flight to experience a very bad smell for the next few minutes. Most passengers sleeping during the overnight flight were able to experience this, and it caused a lot of discomfort on board.
According to reports, the flight took off from Malaysia at about 10:30 p.m., and during the flight, around 2 a.m. at some point, a 40-year-old woman passenger suddenly got up from her seat and rushed to the aircraft’s lavatory with a bag, according to witnesses. The passengers nearby thought she was probably sick and going to the toilet to vomit.
But the situation became apparent when passengers saw human waste on the woman’s seat and also on the carpet. The unusual incident shocked passengers in the vicinity, and some of them got angry and confronted the woman about what had happened.
According to her account, she was experiencing extreme illness and discomfort and couldn’t control herself. She also believed that the problem might have been caused by a very acute health issue and not the result of some kind of malice. But human waste in the plane cabin was a serious hygiene problem and made the flight very uncomfortable for the other passengers.
Passengers Endure Foul Smell
The incident reportedly occurred when passengers around the woman were in the same seat for about 40 minutes. The strong smell was noted to have spread to the cabin around the woman and caused much discomfort during the flight.
Cabin crew members quickly reacted to the situation. Disinfectants and air fresheners were used to clean the area and keep the smell out of the air and to maintain good hygiene conditions in the plane, they said.
Such incidents are particularly difficult to deal with when you’re in a plane and cabin crew have limited space and resources compared to ground-based cleaning teams. Hygiene matters in an aircraft when passengers are stuck in a confined environment for hours.
When the aircraft landed safely at its destination, the airline arranged for the aircraft to undergo deep cleaning. The seat, carpet, and other facilities of the aircraft were cleaned to be totally sanitised, and the aircraft was to be used again.
AirAsia reacts to the incident
AirAsia China General Manager Frank Tang Ting praised the crew members for their quick response to the unusual situation. As a whole, passenger safety and hygiene are the airline’s top priorities, he said.
There are also questions about what the airline and passenger reaction to a sudden medical emergency on board when someone has a medical emergency while flying. As passengers must follow cabin rules and use the lavatory if need be, a medical emergency can sometimes not allow people to go to the toilet on time.
What Passengers Should Do In a Health Emergency?
The experience has been a warning to travellers to tell cabin crew as soon as they are experiencing a serious health concern on a flight. Symptoms such as severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, or sudden illness should be reported to flight attendants immediately.
Cabin crew members are trained in medical emergencies and can help in determining if more help is needed. Early warning to staff members can also give them the means to provide that support and, where possible, minimise the impact on other passengers.
Passengers with pre-existing digestive or gastrointestinal problems should make sure they are in good enough shape to take a long-haul (or overnight) flight. If they go to the airport before departure and inform airline staff of a serious medical issue, then they could be saved from being stranded at the airport, and the trip could go worse.
Rules on Passenger Conduct
Airlines have strict rules on passenger behaviour to do with their passengers’ safety, health, or comfort in an aircraft. Unruly passengers who are intentionally disruptive and/or dangerous are likely to be considered as such and might be punished under the aviation regulations and the airline policies.
But genuine medical emergencies can be different from deliberate disruptive behaviour. Authorities and airlines generally take into account the circumstances of an incident when deciding whether further action is required.
AirAsia has demonstrated the problems that can arise when a passenger has an unusual medical problem thousands of feet off the ground. The passengers were extremely uncomfortable, and the cabin crew quickly responded and performed a deep cleaning to bring back the hygiene of the aircraft.
The lesson for passengers is simple: if a health issue happens in a plane, don’t wait until you’re in a plane to come to the cabin crew and ask for help from the crew. Early communication can be made to ensure that both the affected passenger and everyone else on the plane are safe at all times and are able to talk things out.
