Some Flights Out Of Newark Are Crawling With Bedbugs

<a href="http://www.bluejake.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bluejake</a>/<a href="https://twitter.com/sarahbibi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sarah Bibi</a>/Gothamist)

Several passengers flying out of Newark Airport last week were reportedly tormented by bed bugs on separate Air India flights, including an eight-month-old who suffered multiple bites during the 17-hour trip, according to the child's parents—"nooooo!!" and "ahhhhhhh!!!!!," indeed, but also major props to the parents who somehow survived a fate worse than international travel out of Newark with an infant.

Photos of the tiny beasts were first posted online last Tuesday by Pravin Tonsekar, who tweeted that his family's business class seats were "infested with bed bugs." After his wife Kashmira quickly alerted the crew to the infestation, the seats were treated with "repellent," the Hindustan Times reports. But that apparently didn't work, because "after a while, more bugs started coming out from that and other seats,” Kashmira told the paper.

The airline's Twitter account apologized for the situation, and vowed to implement "corrective measures in this regard." But it was "too late" to apologize, Tonesekar responded, adding that his family probably never should've had to sit on top of the bugs in the first place. In another indignity, they were forced to spend part of the flight in coach.

Within days, other passengers who'd traveled in Air India's business class were sharing their own horror stories, some which occurred on separate flights from the original complaint.

In response, the airline agreed to temporarily ground some flights between Newark and Mumbai, the Independent reports. In a statement to NBC, the airline once again apologized, and admitted to the possibility of bug-related discomfiture: "Air India is deeply concerned with a few reports of 'bugs' causing inconvenience to its esteemed passengers. The issue has been viewed seriously and every possible step is being taken to closely inspect and further strengthen our system at every level to ensure that such isolated incidents of passenger discomfiture do not affect our consistent performance.”

So there you have it: Not only have bedbugs laid claim to Times Square movie theaters, swanky Park Avenue Hotels, City Hall, the United Nations, and the subway system—now, they've finally figured out how to fly.