onboad spraying
Jun 14, 2012 | 12:41 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2004
Programs: BA blue, LH Senator, KQ (FB) gold
Posts: 8,214
Spraying has little to do with the choice of airline, and everything to do with the countries you are flying from/to. If a country's law says "Spray", you can bet that every airline flying into that country will spray.
Jun 14, 2012 | 6:03 pm
#18
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SEA/YVR/BLI
Programs: UA "Lifetime" Gold, AS Titanium, OW Emerald, HH Lifetime Diamond, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 9,583
Flying SA JNB-IAD a few years ago we watched as two male FAs walked with aerosol cans briskly from the back to the front up the aisles spraying during the refueling stop in DKR.
The one using our aisle was reassuring though: "It's not an insecticide - it's just to kill the bugs."
The one using our aisle was reassuring though: "It's not an insecticide - it's just to kill the bugs."
Jun 15, 2012 | 1:20 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 658
Regarding the comment that spraying has little to do with one's choice of airline...there was a news television show (I think it was 20/20) that was aired years ago that stated that some airlines (I think United) applied residual chemicals on all planes that might be used for routes to certain countries, such as Australia. For these airlines, one is exposed to the chemical on some domestic flights of the airline since the same planes are used for their international routes.
Jun 15, 2012 | 9:10 am
#20
Join Date: May 2004
Programs: BA blue, LH Senator, KQ (FB) gold
Posts: 8,214
Regarding the comment that spraying has little to do with one's choice of airline...there was a news television show (I think it was 20/20) that was aired years ago that stated that some airlines (I think United) applied residual chemicals on all planes that might be used for routes to certain countries, such as Australia. For these airlines, one is exposed to the chemical on some domestic flights of the airline since the same planes are used for their international routes.
Jun 15, 2012 | 9:35 am
#21
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AS MVP, HH Gold, MR Gold
Posts: 1,848
Did a couple trips to malarial zones this year through the EU on SN. SN FAs say spraying from certain countries is an EU requirement, and that they have to turn in the emptied spray bottles when they land. Got sprayed KGL-EBB, EBB-BRU, DKR-BRU. The announcements said it was "perfectly safe," which I don't really believe, but like all things in public health, I suspect the population risk from modest exposure to the spray is less than the risk from introducing some of those insect-bourne diseases into other areas.
Jun 16, 2012 | 5:48 am
#22
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
They still spray, they just don't do it by hand with FAs walking through the cabin. The spray is pumped through the air conditioning, you can smell it shortly before landing.
Jun 17, 2012 | 1:33 pm
#24
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: New Zealand/ UK
Programs: NZ, EK, QF, SQ.
Posts: 776
I fly regularly between Australia-NZ and UK-NZ. I have never smelled this spray coming through the air conditioning.
Jun 17, 2012 | 6:14 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: AA EXP, Amex Plat
Posts: 575
I got sprayed on a QR flight from DOH to MLE about 6 months ago. One flight attendant ran up and down the length of the plane with two aerosol cans and pretty much nuked it. It was actually quite a strong chemical...
I'm wonder how effective this actually is. I don't think it would have effected any bugs stowing away in my carry-ons, and what about the cargo hold?
I'm wonder how effective this actually is. I don't think it would have effected any bugs stowing away in my carry-ons, and what about the cargo hold?
Jun 20, 2012 | 2:48 am
#26
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 16,064
This is a daily occurrence on flights to/from West Africa as an anti-mosquito precaution. It is also mandatory on flights to certain countries (this includes many more than those listed in the links above).
Do the Port Health authorities really care? In theory, the crew have to fill out the serial numbers from the dispensed cans onto the ICAO Annex 9 General Declaration and then hand over the empty cans on arrival. I've had this actually checked by Port Health maybe twice in hundreds of arrivals.
Do the Port Health authorities really care? In theory, the crew have to fill out the serial numbers from the dispensed cans onto the ICAO Annex 9 General Declaration and then hand over the empty cans on arrival. I've had this actually checked by Port Health maybe twice in hundreds of arrivals.