NEW DELHI - Air India said on Saturday that reports about a lizard in one of its in-flight meals on board a flight from New Delhi to London were false and baseless.

"Air India would like to clarify that the news on Twitter & elsewhere regarding a "lizard in meal tray" on board AI 111 DEL-LHR of 11th June, is #false & #baseless,'' the airline said on Twitter.

"No such complaint has been received from any passenger on board the flight or at Air India office in LHR (London),'' it added.

A picture circulating on social media shows a lizard's head poking out from underneath a bun on a meal tray wrapped in cling film. Reports said the incident happened on a flight from Delhi to London on Thursday.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) earlier quoted Air India spokesman Praveen Bhatnagar as saying that the airline was investigating and enquiring the caterer and in-house departments.

The state-run carrier, which has not reported an annual profit since 2007, has been hit by a string of technical glitches and incidents, including staff turning up late for flights, AFP reported.

In April, the airline made headlines when it had to ground two of its pilots after a fight erupted between the pair just before takeoff.