Noisy neighbour? Try sharing a plane with an infestation of cockroaches

Passengers aboard two international flights bound for the southern Chinese city of Kunming had to share their plane with some unwanted travelling companions recently, with a total of more than 100 cockroaches found on board.

The country of origin, date of the flights and airline – or airlines – involved were not revealed in a China News Service report on the incidents on Friday.

But a photo taken by quarantine inspectors who boarded one of the planes at Kunming Changshui International Airport, in Yunnan, showed at least one domestic airline was involved – with Chinese characters visible on the headrest covers.

It was also unclear at what stage in the flights and where in the plane the cockroaches were discovered.

Pest control experts were called in on both occasions to remove the insects and fumigate the cabin, catering area, toilets and cargo hold, the airport authority said.

The insects – identified as Blattella germanica, or German cockroaches – are being examined for pathogens by the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau at the airport, the report said.

The German cockroach is the smallest of the three most common species – the other two are American and Oriental cockroaches.

American cockroaches are the largest, growing up to more than 5cm in length, while the German variety – which is known as the Russian cockroach in Germany – are usually less than a third of that size.

The airport could not be reached for comment. Those involved were told by the airport authority to improve hygiene on planes, especially those flying into and out of China, according to the report.

The cockroach: anatomy of a born survivor – click here for full infographic