A passenger was appalled to discover live cockroaches crawling over the food area of an aircraft, raising questions about the air company's hygiene standards.

Phone footage filmed by the flyer shows several roaches creeping over the plane's cabinets where food is normally stored.

Beneath them on the floor was a pile of rotting food and filth, with the IndiGo logo visible on one of the meal containers.

The hair-raising scene was reportedly captured aboard an Airbus A320 operated by low-cost carrier IndiGo, which has headquarters in Haryana, India.

The airline said in a statement: 'We are aware of the video that was circulated on social media showing an unclean corner in one of our aircraft.

'Our staff promptly took the necessary action onboard. As a precautionary measure, we immediately cleaned the entire fleet and carried out fumigation and disinfection procedures.

'At IndiGo, we maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene to ensure a safe, hassle-free experience and regret any inconvenience caused to the passengers.'