A United Airlines flight from Canada to Texas descended into chaos on Friday after 30 passengers fell ill with flu-like symptoms.
Prior to their flight, the sick passengers, who were part of a larger travel group of about 75 people, had taken a cruise.
The plane – a Boeing 737 Max – took off from Vancouver and landed at the Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where it was met by emergency responders.
At 6:20 pm, the Houston Fire Department was called to the scene.
First responders examined three patients but determined that none required emergency medical attention.
Officials from the fire department noted that the passengers exhibited symptoms linked to the cruise, complaining of nausea.
United Airlines confirmed the incident and remarked that various flyers from the cruise were ill and were aboard the same flight.
According to the airline, the plane was a Boeing 737 MAX 8 and there were 163 passengers and six crew members on the flight.
The plane has since been pulled from United’s rotation while it undergoes a deep cleaning.
In May, there was another flight during which a large number of passengers suddenly became ill.
Condor airline Flight DE2315 was traveling from Mauritius to Frankfurt when it became clear that many flyers on board were suffering from a bug.
The aircraft landed in the German city at around 5:33 pm where it was greeted with a large contingent of emergency services.
Crew had called ahead to alert officials on the ground of the unfolding emergency.
It was found that 70 of the 290 passengers on board had suddenly reported symptoms including nausea and vomiting.
A spokesperson for the Germany airline confirmed the incident to the country’s Bild tabloid, adding that the crew was not affected by the illness.
‘She [the pilot/crew] is also educated and trained for special situations like this,’ the statement to the newspaper said.
‘After carefully examining the overall situation, the flight continued. The aircraft landed safely in Frankfurt, where medical professionals were available to care for the affected guests.’
The airline, however, did not confirm the cause of the sudden illness, but noted that the food onboard would have been prepared in Mauritius.
‘[We have] already initiated an investigation into the case to get to the bottom of the cause and to derive possible measures from it,’ the spokeswoman added.
‘Condor is working closely with all responsible partners and authorities. There is currently no result available.’