onboad spraying
 

The last time I flew with New Zealand airlines they had a couple of agents walking down the aisle with a bottle of insecticide on each hand and sprayed indiscriminately on the top of the passengers' heads. I wonder if they are still doing that.

Last time I saw that on a flight (not involving NZ) was flying to South Africa in 1981, with a stop in the Cape Verde Islands. I think the sprayed both on arrival and before departure.

I think islands have learned from Hawaii, which did not have mosquitos (they claim) until a ship arrived with some mosquitos in the hull/bilge in the 1800s.

I saw that on an EgyptAir flight from Cairo to LHR in the spring of 2009. It was done in a halfhearted way; one had the impression that the cabin crew didn't believe it accomplished anything and that they were doing it just so that they could say it had been done.

The page isn't dated so I don't know how current it is.

I've never heard of the UK requiring it; perhaps there was a specific outbreak of something in 2009 or it could have been a spray other than pesticide.

The page you quoted is pretty outdated.

I haven't been sprayed when entering Australia or NZ for at least 10 years, possibly longer. Can't speak for the other countries mentioned.

We were sprayed this month on a flight from Maun to Johannesburg. It was awful. I coughed, and my eyes burned. I wish I had had one of those masks!

If only it was a US carrier you might be successful demanding the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for what they just forced you to breathe without prior permission.

Got sprayed last week on Air Tahiti while departing LAX for Paris.

Have flown LAX > Australia and/or NZ about 12 times over the last 5 years on Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Virgin Australia and have never had the cabin sprayed. NZ customs is still strict to make sure there's no dirt/organics on hiking boots though.

Yup. Got sprayed on a flight from JNB to Livingstone. I didn't look up and into it, but my eyes still burned for hours afterwards. Been sprayed since, but now I put the blanket or something over my head and face and keep my eyes closed. They don't seem to care.

Is it ok to say that when I first saw this topic line, I thought it said, "onboard spaying," and I immediately became very concerned for any dogs on board?

The link in Wally Bird's post didn't say that Australia and NZ sprayed planes with pax aboard, it said that those were among the countries that require the planes to be sprayed periodically with a residual pesticide.

Here is another site that explains the spraying requirements of various countries, as well as gives the contact information for airline representatives who have information about the requirements:

http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/policy/safet...sinsection.htm

It should be noted that the residual method is done while the passenger is not on board, so one will most likely not notice when this is done.

I've seen that over the years with passengers on board in Fiji, New Zealand, Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

I've been sprayed within the last decade in Australia. IIRC they also require that planes be rotated somewhere for treatment that isn't done in the USA.