Pesticide spraying in cabin - health risks and a bs justification?
Aug 27, 2012, 12:32 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Honkers/UK ... wherever clients are.
Programs: BAEC, AAdvantage, Untied, US Airways, Skypesos, Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Priority Club.
Posts: 154
Pesticide spraying in cabin - health risks and a bs justification?
On a recent BA flight departing from Honkers, there was a short announcement made about spraying the cabin and then the purser walked through down one aisle and up the other with two cans spraying stuff into the air. The british businessman who I'd been chatting with across the divider covered his nose/mouth with a hankerchief(always prepared ^) while I held my breath. It did cause my eyes to get watery though and I was wondering what it was.
If you look on their website(URL below), they indicate that it was MANDATORY to spray in the Honkers flight along with flights departing from PEK and PVG. However, I've flown China Eastern and Air China on those routes and don't seem to recall the spraying(who knows though, the spray could be affecting my memory).
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...o/public/en_us
Anyway, do people here think that their justification holds water? IE, that they're MANDATED to spray the cabin by the WHO? How harmful/toxic is the spray anyway?
I loved the service and the Bucks Fizz, but I don't appreciate breathing in pesticides.
If you look on their website(URL below), they indicate that it was MANDATORY to spray in the Honkers flight along with flights departing from PEK and PVG. However, I've flown China Eastern and Air China on those routes and don't seem to recall the spraying(who knows though, the spray could be affecting my memory).
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...o/public/en_us
Anyway, do people here think that their justification holds water? IE, that they're MANDATED to spray the cabin by the WHO? How harmful/toxic is the spray anyway?
I loved the service and the Bucks Fizz, but I don't appreciate breathing in pesticides.
Aug 27, 2012, 12:45 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP, Hhonors Gold, National Executive, Identity Gold, MLife Gold
Posts: 2,687
That's insane. Why don't they spray right after they finish "cleaning" the cabin, before the passengers are onboard? Significantly safer for all involved. And a good reminder why you should wipe down every surface in the plane before using it.
Aug 27, 2012, 12:56 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: UK, Peak District near MAN
Programs: BA- blue, BD,DL
Posts: 2,027
Pesticide spraying in cabin - health risks and a bs justification?
Same from CAI and African destinations. I think it is a UK govt requirement. It's to kill any insects which might be carrying disease so it would be pointless to do it after cleaning, it has to be done after the doors are closed. Perfectly safe.
Aug 27, 2012, 1:15 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Honkers/UK ... wherever clients are.
Programs: BAEC, AAdvantage, Untied, US Airways, Skypesos, Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Priority Club.
Posts: 154
Regardless, I've never experienced it in travel to a first-world destination. The only time that's happened is when Air France fumigated the cabin in Lome, that was disgusting.
Aug 27, 2012, 1:26 am
#6
Join Date: May 2012
Location: LHR/BSL/BOS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Intercontinental Ambassador, Marriott & HHonors at some-rubbish-middle-tier
Posts: 104
It's quite common from hot/humid countries inbound to Europe.
I've had it with ORY-bound AF from caribbean, or LHR-bound from various other countries.
I've had it with ORY-bound AF from caribbean, or LHR-bound from various other countries.
Aug 27, 2012, 1:29 am
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 536
WHO mandate that aircraft must be sprayed under certain conditions (such as SARS outbreaks) but otherwise I think that WHO rules state that it's down to the individual countries involved. The UK sprays planes from quite a few places, including HKG, and some other countries (Aus and India, for instance) mandate the sprayingn for inbound aircraft. Can't really see a problem with it, to be honest.
Aug 27, 2012, 1:32 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: NY/NJ USA
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott Platinum, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 137
I had this on a recent business trip to Bangalore. What surprised me wasn't the return flight from BLR to LHR (I completely get that there might have been some insects carrying something undesirable on the return), but that they also did this on the outbound flight. Just what dangerous disease using an insect attack vector are we meant to be sending to India from London?!
Aug 27, 2012, 1:51 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
I've had this on quite a few flights on different carriers. Perfectly normal and nothing to get worried about. I'm quite sure that airlines would not do it unless they had to.
Aug 27, 2012, 1:54 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: BAEC Gold, LH M&M Member
Posts: 2,705
Completely normal, and nothing to worry about (and I'm not even mentioning cosmic rays)...
http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/policy/safet...sinsection.htm
Has a nice short summary (from a US-centric point of view). The UK is listed as requiring spraying "from malarial countries" so is possibly seasonal.
And here, from the horse's mouth http://www.who.int/ith/mode_of_trave...sinsection/en/
http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/policy/safet...sinsection.htm
Has a nice short summary (from a US-centric point of view). The UK is listed as requiring spraying "from malarial countries" so is possibly seasonal.
And here, from the horse's mouth http://www.who.int/ith/mode_of_trave...sinsection/en/
Passengers are sometimes concerned about their exposure to insecticide sprays during air travel, and some have reported feeling unwell after spraying of aircraft for disinsection. However, WHO has found no evidence that the specified insecticide sprays are harmful to human health when used as recommended.
Aug 27, 2012, 4:19 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: UK, but sometimes wish it was USA
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,388
They used to always do it on the Carribean flights too. I have no issue with it whatsoever.
Think we are making a mountain out of a molehill if people think its dangerous to their health. Cabin crew must be exposed to it regularly, and they don't seem to have an issue with it.
You probably eat more pesticides on a plate of salad.
Think we are making a mountain out of a molehill if people think its dangerous to their health. Cabin crew must be exposed to it regularly, and they don't seem to have an issue with it.
You probably eat more pesticides on a plate of salad.
Aug 27, 2012, 4:19 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold, EK Silver, Cathay Gold, SPG Plat 100, Hilton G, PC Plat,Hertz Pres C, Le club Accor plat
Posts: 114
On a recent BA flight departing from Honkers, there was a short announcement made about spraying the cabin and then the purser walked through down one aisle and up the other with two cans spraying stuff into the air. The british businessman who I'd been chatting with across the divider covered his nose/mouth with a hankerchief(always prepared ^) while I held my breath. It did cause my eyes to get watery though and I was wondering what it was.
If you look on their website(URL below), they indicate that it was MANDATORY to spray in the Honkers flight along with flights departing from PEK and PVG. However, I've flown China Eastern and Air China on those routes and don't seem to recall the spraying(who knows though, the spray could be affecting my memory).
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...o/public/en_us
Anyway, do people here think that their justification holds water? IE, that they're MANDATED to spray the cabin by the WHO? How harmful/toxic is the spray anyway?
I loved the service and the Bucks Fizz, but I don't appreciate breathing in pesticides.
If you look on their website(URL below), they indicate that it was MANDATORY to spray in the Honkers flight along with flights departing from PEK and PVG. However, I've flown China Eastern and Air China on those routes and don't seem to recall the spraying(who knows though, the spray could be affecting my memory).
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...o/public/en_us
Anyway, do people here think that their justification holds water? IE, that they're MANDATED to spray the cabin by the WHO? How harmful/toxic is the spray anyway?
I loved the service and the Bucks Fizz, but I don't appreciate breathing in pesticides.
Same I the flights Bom
