A flight of passengers in Mexico experienced a delay when a swarm of mosquitoes managed to sneak onto the plane.
According to El Sol de Léon and WABC-TV, a Volaris flight that was en route from Guadalajara to Mexico City on Friday faced a delay of more than two hours because of a mosquito infestation. A video recorded by a passenger showed flight attendants dispersing insect repellent along the plane’s aisles. Passengers were seen attempting to fend off the insects by swatting at them with their hands as they settled into their seats.
Unfortunately, the spray wasn’t effective as the repellent only agitated the mosquitoes more. Passengers also noted that the mosquitoes continued to buzz around until the interior lights of the airplane went off.
This incident wasn’t the first occurrence of travelers dealing with mosquito swarms while at Guadalajara Airport. According to El Sol de Léon, prior passengers have shared on social media their experiences of boarding mosquito-filled planes.
In 2019, a passenger posted a video on Twitter showing mosquitoes hovering around his flight as it was departing from the same airport. The tiny insects were visible in the video, flying about as passengers attempted to fend them off.
The airport is situated in close proximity to an area prone to frequent flooding which naturally attracts mosquitoes. According to the publication, the airport has stated that it cannot fully manage the mosquito problem. However, the airline says they’re implementing measures to combat the issue. These measures include maintaining the grass by pruning it and applying larvicides, a type of insecticide used to control mosquito populations both indoors and outdoors, to affected areas.
