Emergency Return Due to Bats Flying Inside Passenger Plane from India

The Mexican free-tailed bat boasts a flight speed of 160 km/h. (Image = StateSymbolUSA)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] A passenger plane that took off from New Delhi, India, made an emergency return after a bat suddenly flew inside the cabin during the flight.

According to dpa news agency, on the 27th (local time), the captain of an Air India Boeing 777 passenger plane heading from New Delhi to Newark, USA, decided to return to New Delhi Airport about an hour after takeoff.

The reason was a single bat.

The bat suddenly appeared somewhere inside the cabin during the flight and started flying around wildly, causing fear among passengers and crew members.

The captain judged that continuing the flight was difficult and decided to make an emergency return.

After landing at New Delhi Airport, the plane disembarked passengers and conducted a search for the bat, which was found dead in the business class section.

According to Air India's internal report, the airline is investigating the possibility that the bat entered via cargo vehicles used during the in-flight meal loading process.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.