About 185 passengers fell sick after boarding a plane in Canada’s Quebec airport, they were on their way in the Air Transat flight 782 to US’ Fort Lauderdale.
Passengers experienced symptoms like itching eyes, dizziness, vomiting and sore eyes during the planes de-icing before takeoff.
Firefighters were called in to evacuate the plane. Canadian media reported close to 10 passengers had been shifted to the hospital.
The ventilation of the aircraft seems to have issues. Unhealthy carbon monoxide gas seemed to have entered the airplane during the de-icing procedure.
The aircraft has ordered an enquiry into the incident.
What is de-icing?
De-icing is the process of removal of snow, ice or frost from a surface. Anti-icing agents are used, mostly chemicals to de-ice surfaces and also delay the reformation of ice for certain periods.
De-icing of an aircraft is crucial. Ice can contaminate or disturb the airflow degrading the ability of the wings to lift, this can also cause a crash. If large pieces of ice seperate when the aircraft is in motion they can be ingested by the engine or hit the propellers and cause failure.