Air India Apologizes After Passenger Finds Cockroach In First Class Meal

Air India came under fire Tuesday after a female passenger criticized the airline upon finding a cockroach in her food at Air India's VIP lounge for first and business class fliers in Delhi, India. The woman's allegations led the airline to issue an apology and launch an investigation into her complaint.

Indian journalist Harinder Baweja shared a picture of her "disgusting" discovery Tuesday with her 37,000-plus followers after ordering a meal in Air India's VIP lounge. The photo depicts an empty plate with what appears to be Air India's logo in the corner as a cockroach is propped up in the center.

"Dear @airindiain cockroaches on food plates at your Delhi Lounge for biz and first class passengers. Disgusting," Baweja said in a tweet directed to Air India.

Air India responded to Baweja's tweet and issued an apology for her finding. The airline confirmed that it has immediately taken "corrective measures" to investigate the issue by sharing the woman's feedback with Air India's airport team.

"Ma'am we have alerted the agency managing lounge at T3," Air India wrote on Twitter. "Necessary corrective measures are being taken immediately. We deeply apologize for this incident."

"We are sorry to hear this, Ms. Harinder. Sharing your feedback with our Airport team to get it checked," Air India added.

Social media users that came across Baweja's tweet were quick to call out the airline, with some individuals referring to Air India as one of the "worst airlines in the world." While a few users claimed to have experienced similar situations to Baweja's, another alleged that "this happens all the time."

This wouldn't be the first time an Air India passenger allegedly found a bug in their food. A passenger traveling on an Air India flight from Kathmandu to Kolkata in 2015 claimed to have come across a housefly in their food, but the airline couldn't verify the incident.

Air India's subsidiary Hotel Corporation of India, which manages The Centaur Hotels, reportedly provides catering services for the airline's lounge. The airline's food offers a wide dietary range that even accommodates vegetarians and non-vegetarian eaters.