Public health agency ends probe after Air France passenger sat in blood-soaked area

Canada’s public health agency has ended an investigation opened after an Air France passenger said he sat amid the uncleaned remnants of a previous passenger’s hemorrhage, concluding that nothing was found on board that could spread communicable diseases.

The Public Health Agency of Canada had opened the probe citing its mandate to ensure that anything brought into the country on a conveyance does not threaten public health.

The agency says its investigation included co-operation with Air France, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and determined that there was “no person or substance on board that could cause the spread of a communicable disease.”

Passenger Habib Battah told The Canadian Press that after boarding a June 30 flight from Paris to Toronto, he noticed a strong manure-like odour and noticed a large stain on the floor in front of his seat.

Battah has said he alerted cabin crew about the stain and was then given cleaning supplies in response; after wiping the floor beneath his seat, the cloth came out “blood red.”

Air France had confirmed that a customer became unwell on a previous flight and “soiled” his seat.

The airline said an internal investigation has been launched to understand the series of events that led to the situation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2023.