By Youssef Yahya 
On July 28, United Airlines Flight UA2477 from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) was forced to divert to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) due to a severe biohazard situation. The incident began when a passenger became ill, causing a chain reaction that left several cabin crew members sick and passengers requesting masks.
Crew Members Affected
The situation escalated quickly as the illness spread, affecting not only the passenger but also causing some crew members to vomit. Passengers, concerned about the air quality, began asking for masks. Recognizing the severity of the issue, the pilots decided that an immediate landing was necessary.
Audio recordings between the pilot and air traffic control, which surfaced on social media, reveal the urgency of the situation. The pilot can be heard stating, “The crew is vomiting, and passengers all around are asking for masks…I talked to the crew, and it sounds like it’s quite bad back there…with this kind of being a biohazard, I think we need to get this plane on the ground ASAP.”
Diversion to Washington
The flight, operating as UA2477 on a Boeing 737-800, had initially departed Houston at 09:30 with an expected arrival in Boston at 14:45. However, due to the onboard emergency, the plane diverted to Washington Dulles for an emergency landing. United Airlines later confirmed that the diversion was due to a medical issue experienced by a passenger.
According to Simple Flying, saying, United flight UA2477 flight diverted to Washington-Dulles after a customer experienced a medical issue. The aircraft was deep cleaned and departed for Boston this evening.
Upon landing in Washington, the aircraft underwent an industrial-level cleaning, which is significantly more extensive than regular cleaning procedures. This cleaning process, necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of future passengers, took several hours. According to Flightradar24, the aircraft eventually departed Washington at 18:37 and landed in Boston at 19:47.
This incident is not an isolated one. Biohazard situations on flights, though rare, have occurred before and often require immediate and drastic measures. For instance, in September 2023, a Delta Air Lines flight from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN) had to turn back after a passenger suffered from severe diarrhea, creating a biohazard.
The crew’s initial attempts to clean the aircraft using a vanilla-scented disinfectant only exacerbated the odor. The flight was eventually diverted back to Atlanta, where the plane underwent an industrial-scale cleaning, including a full carpet replacement in some sections.
- Featured image by BriYYZ
Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’
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Bassem Youssef