We’ve got quite an intriguing story today. Imagine you’re on a United Airlines flight from Canada to the U.S., enjoying the view from 30,000 feet when suddenly, people around you start feeling sick.
Well, that’s exactly what happened on United Flight 1528 from Vancouver to Houston, Texas, on May 31.
The flight landed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport with 163 passengers and 6 crew members on board. Now, here’s where things get interesting: around 25 passengers reported feeling unwell. The Houston Fire Department was on the scene, assessing those with the most severe symptoms. Fortunately, none of these passengers needed to be taken to the hospital.
So, what was going on? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stepped in to investigate. They noted that most of the ill passengers experienced gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Picture this: you’re on a flight, and suddenly you’re hit with stomach pains or nausea. Not the best way to spend your travel time, right?
But here’s a twist in our story—75 of these passengers had just returned from a cruise. United Airlines mentioned that several passengers who felt unwell had been on this same cruise.
A United spokesperson explained, “Several passengers who had been on the same cruise and did not feel well were on United Flight 1528 from Vancouver to Houston.”
📰 @BusinessInsider | @United Flight 1528 Had To Be Taken Out Of Service And Deep Cleaned After Dozens Of Passengers Flying Home From A @RoyalCarribean Cruise Started Throwing Uphttps://t.co/xjDxigCFoy #United #Airliner
— 🪖 𝐒𝐀𝐌 🪖 (@SamuelWang636) June 3, 2024
To ensure everyone’s safety, United Airlines took swift action. After the plane landed, it went through a thorough deep cleaning.
The airline stated, “As a precautionary measure, the aircraft will be removed from service and go through a deep cleaning before returning to service.” This highlights the importance United Airlines places on the health and safety of its passengers and crew.
The CDC’s public health officers also responded to the incident. They worked with EMS to evaluate the passengers right there on the plane. Thankfully, the CDC reported that no passengers had a fever during the flight or upon landing. None of the passengers met the CDC criteria for further public health follow-up. So, despite the scare, everyone was able to continue with their travel plans.