Step 1: Airway irritation from a volatile agent depends on its pungency. A pungent, less soluble agent provokes airway reflexes during inhalational induction.
Step 2: Desflurane is the most pungent of the volatile agents. When used for inhalational induction it causes airway irritation - breath holding, coughing, laryngospasm and secretions (isoflurane is similarly irritant).
Step 3: Sevoflurane is non-pungent and is the agent of choice for inhalational (gas) induction; halothane is also relatively sweet smelling and non-irritant.
Step 4: Therefore desflurane, with maximum respiratory irritation, is the correct answer.