Summary

  • United Airlines removed a plane for deep cleaning after passengers from a cruise reported feeling nauseous on a Vancouver to Houston flight.
  • The 25 passengers onboard UA1528 reported feeling unwell, so the Houston Fire Department met the aircraft for evaluation.
  • The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, registration N27283, was eventually returned to regular operations after deep cleaning.

A United Airlines aircraft that operated from Vancouver to Houston was removed from scheduled service on Friday as the airline decided to undergo a deep cleaning. Several passengers who recently completed a cruise had boarded the Star Alliance flight from British Columbia before reporting waves of nausea and generally feeling unwell. Vancouver is a popular port for many cruises up into the Northern Pacific and Alaska.

75 passengers onboard the flight had taken a cruise before the flight, and 25 reported feeling nauseous onboard. The Houston Fire Department then met UA1528; three were evaluated before disembarking the aircraft. However, none were required to go to the hospital for further observation. V

United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8

Photo: MKPhoto12 | Shutterstock

United Airlines decided quickly to remove the aircraft from service as a precautionary measure, which holds registration N27283, to undergo deep cleaning for the safety of future passengers and crew. According to Flightradar24, this affected a rotation to Atlanta (UA2417 on May 31 and UA1129 on June 1).

Related

How Are Passenger Planes Cleaned?

Every airline has different protocols.

163 passengers and six crew

Overall, the flight had 163 passengers and six crew members onboard. While removing the aircraft from regular scheduling affected two corresponding services, United stressed that the safety of crew and passengers is their top priority. According to CNN, the airline could not advise which cruise the passengers had been on; however, the carrier is actively coordinating with health authorities to understand the situation. United released this statement about the incident and aircraft:

“United Airlines is actively coordinating with health authorities to address the situation. Ensuring the health and safety of our passengers and crew remains our top priority.”

United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 Taxiing In Boston

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

According to data from Flightradar24, the aircraft returned to regular operations on June 1, as UA1751 operated from Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) to Guatemala City La Aurora International Airport (GUA). The flight was scheduled to depart at 09:37 but only departed from the Texan airport at 10:14. It arrived in Guatemala at 12:00, 33 minutes behind its scheduled arrival time of 11:27.

Aircraft N27283

According to ch-Aviation, an online aircraft and airline database, the aircraft at the center of the drama is a 4.9-year-old Boeing 737 MAX 8. The plane took its first test flight on June 27, 2019, before being parked during the pandemic. It was eventually delivered to Chicago-based United Airlines on April 17, 2023. Bearing serial number 61857, the aircraft is powered by two 2 x CFMI LEAP-1B engines and is configured for 16 business and 150 economy passengers in a two-class configuration.

United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX8 on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

Related

These Airports Were Deemed The World’s Cleanest In 2023

Most of the world’s cleanest airports are located in Asia.


  • N14106 United Airlines (Her Art Here-California Livery) Boeing 757-224 (1)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *