RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

Of all the delays you'd probably most like to steer clear of, a "roach delay" would rank high on the list. But that's just what caused a Miami-to-Washington flight to be delayed by about 90 minutes earlier this month, according to W-USA Channel 9 of Washington D.C.

The station reports that Alissa Kempler, a passenger on the American Airlines flight, was told by a flight attendant: "There are roaches on the plane." W-USA adds Kempler says she eventually learned "there (were) actually 50 roaches and they found a colony on a curtain between first class and the pilots." Kempler tells W-USA that "we spent the next two and a half hours, or at least I did, curled up in my seat thinking 'how many cockroaches are going to be in my bag when I get out?' "

In response to the story, American Airlines' spokesman Tim Smith tells W-USA "infestations are very rare but not unprecedented." Smith tells the station that the company's planes are treated regularly by pest control companies. "The planes have outside panels removed once a month to give maintenance crews better access and if a problem is detected, it will be treated during the next layover," W-USA writes.