De-icing an Air Transat A321 made 185 passengers sick

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An airplane leaving from Quebec City’s Jean Lesage airport was quickly evacuated today after passengers began to fall ill.  A dozen passengers received medical attention after they fell ill on an Air Transat flight that was about to leave Quebec City’s airport on Thursday

The Air Transat Airbus A321 had 185 passengers on board and was preparing for takeoff for Fort Lauderdale, Florida when some started feeling nauseous and vomiting.

Quebec City’s ambulance service said it treated 12 people in the terminal of the Jean-Lesage International Airport. Media in Canada reported that five of the passengers were immediately taken to the hospital while the others were shifted gradually.

In a statement, the airline said the passengers became sick after a ventilation problem was detected during the de-icing procedure.

“Our maintenance team is now conducting all the checks on board the aircraft,” a spokesperson said.

After some of the passengers were taken to Saint Sacrament hospital it became clear that the passengers were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

An Air Transat airplane had to be evacuated this morning after passengers began to feel ill onboard. After evacuation, ambulances were called for the passengers who we now know were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Quebec City’s Saint Sacrament Hospital has since issued a Code Orange in preparation for the influx of patients.

About the author

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Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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