Public health agency investigates after passenger sat in blood-soaked area on route to Pearson Airport in Mississauga

Canada’s public health agency has opened an investigation after a passenger on an Air France flight from Paris to Toronto says he sat amid the uncleaned remnants of a previous passenger’s hemorrhage.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it is aware of the incident on the June 30 flight and cited its mandate to ensure that anything brought into the country on a conveyance does not threaten public health.

Passenger Habib Battah told The Canadian Press that after boarding the eight-hour flight he smelt a strong manure-like odor and noticed a large stain on the floor in front of his seat.

Battah says he alerted cabin crew about the stain and was then given cleaning supplies in response.

He says that after wiping the floor beneath his seat, the cloth came out “blood red.”

He says cabin crew later told him that someone suffered a hemorrhage in his seat on a previous flight and that he could not change seats as the flight was full – they instead gave him more gloves and cleaning supplies.

Air France has not responded to a request for comment on what happened.

The Canadian Press