A SENIOR official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in india said a snake was found in the cargo hold of an Air India Express B737-800 plane which arrived at the Dubai airport from Calicut, Kerala.
The DGCA has launched an investigation into the incident, which a senior official said was a ground handling lapse. The incident shall be probed and suitable enforcement action shall be taken, the official told the Press Trust of India.
An Air India Express spokesperson could not be reached for comments. Details about the number of passengers could not be immediately ascertained. However, all passengers disembarked safely and the plane was fumigated.
Even though it is uncommon, snakes have previously been found on commercial flights, according to AFP.
Most recently, on October 18, a non-venomous snake was found on United Airlines Flight 2038. A passenger spotted it on the floor after the plane had landed at an airport in Newark, New Jersey.
In January 2017, an Emirates flight from Muscat to Dubai was grounded after a snake was found in the cargo hold.
'Flight EK0863 from Muscat to Dubai on January 8, 2017, was cancelled due to a detection of a snake in the cargo hold prior to passengers boarding,' a spokeswoman said at the time.
On November 8, 2016, first-class passengers on an Aeromexico flight in Mexico were confronted by another snake.
A video on Twitter showed it making its way out of an overhead luggage locker and dropping into the cabin.
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The DGCA has launched an investigation into the incident, which a senior official said was a ground handling lapse. The incident shall be probed and suitable enforcement action shall be taken, the official told the Press Trust of India.
An Air India Express spokesperson could not be reached for comments. Details about the number of passengers could not be immediately ascertained. However, all passengers disembarked safely and the plane was fumigated.
Even though it is uncommon, snakes have previously been found on commercial flights, according to AFP.
Most recently, on October 18, a non-venomous snake was found on United Airlines Flight 2038. A passenger spotted it on the floor after the plane had landed at an airport in Newark, New Jersey.
In January 2017, an Emirates flight from Muscat to Dubai was grounded after a snake was found in the cargo hold.
'Flight EK0863 from Muscat to Dubai on January 8, 2017, was cancelled due to a detection of a snake in the cargo hold prior to passengers boarding,' a spokeswoman said at the time.
On November 8, 2016, first-class passengers on an Aeromexico flight in Mexico were confronted by another snake.
A video on Twitter showed it making its way out of an overhead luggage locker and dropping into the cabin.
SeaNews Turkey
