Passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to New York were horrified after some of their bags arrived covered in a substance that smelled like human faeces. The incident occurred at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s baggage reclaim, with video footage showing suitcases splattered with a brown substance.
Passenger Taz McGlynn, a 29-year-old hospital pharmacist travelling in premium economy, said: 'We got through immigration really quickly. I was waiting for about five minutes for my bag and then we all started noticing a horrible smell. It looked like mud but it smelled really bad. I work in a hospital and it was worse than some of the human waste I’ve been exposed to on wards.'
Virgin Atlantic confirmed that a 'small number' of bags were damaged after arrival at JFK. A spokesperson said JFK Airport identified the substance as grease from a pipe leak in a baggage tunnel. JFK Terminal 4 operator JFKIAT added that the debris came from a 'faulty pipe connected to a kitchen sink', stating: 'The smell and appearance of the substance was caused by residual cooking oil grease... The pipe and debris were in no way connected to sewage.'
However, Ms McGlynn disputed this, saying: 'I don’t believe it was grease. I know what I smelled. I work in a hospital on a stoma ward. I got it on my hands, feet and jacket.' She estimated around 30 passengers were affected. Affected travellers were offered advice on cleaning their baggage or professional cleaning by a biohazard team.
Virgin Atlantic apologised, stating: 'We're aware of a New York JFK system failure that has affected the baggage of a small number of arriving customers. We're working closely with the team at JFK and local authorities to ensure the issue is resolved.'
Professor Azeem Majeed of Imperial College London advised passengers to handle contaminated luggage with disposable gloves and wash hands thoroughly. He recommended washing clothes at 60°C or above and discarding porous suitcases if smells persist. He added: 'Any passenger who develops symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain or fever should seek medical advice.'
