An Emirates flight from Dubai to Muscat was cancelled after baggage handlers discovered a snake in the aircraft’s cargo hold.
The animal was found before Sunday’s flight from Dubai International, the airline said in a statement, adding that the aircraft was returned to service after being thoroughly searched.
“Emirates can confirm that 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 the passengers boarding,” an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement.
“Engineering and cleaning teams are working to clear the aircraft to re-enter service,” the spokesperson said. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” he said.
First class passengers on an Aeromexico flight in November were confronted by a snake that fell from an overhead storage compartment. Nobody was hurt in the incident but a few passengers were rattled.