Wriggling on the Airplane Overhead Bin... The Identity That Surprised Passengers

by Kim Hyunjeong2

Published 19 Jan.2024 16:52(KST)

A commotion occurred on a domestic flight in Thailand when a snake was discovered onboard, causing startled passengers to evacuate the cabin.

On the 19th (local time), foreign media including CNN and the New York Post reported that on the 13th, a live snake was found inside AirAsia flight FD3015, which departed from Bangkok and was headed to Phuket.

On the 13th (local time), a flight attendant captured a live snake on AirAsia flight FD3015, which departed from Bangkok, Thailand, heading to Phuket.
[Photo source=Social Networking Service (SNS) capture]

At that time, a passenger spotted the snake in the overhead luggage compartment before arriving in Phuket. Subsequently, a flight attendant managed to push the snake away using a plastic bottle and successfully captured it in a plastic bag, bringing the incident to a safe conclusion. However, during this process, passengers seated near the snake were frightened and evacuated. The snake was about 2 feet (61 cm) long and was confirmed to be a non-venomous species. How the snake got inside the cabin has not yet been determined.

The aircraft safely landed at Phuket International Airport, after which airport security personnel boarded the plane to inspect the area where the snake was caught. Regarding the snake’s appearance, AirAsia stated that such incidents are very rare but that their staff are trained to handle such situations. Paul Phumpuang, AirAsia Thailand’s Safety Manager, said, "As a precaution, the crew evacuated passengers seated near where the snake was found," adding, "Before the aircraft resumed operations, cleaning and disinfection were completed to prevent a recurrence of such incidents."

This is the second time a snake has been found on an AirAsia domestic flight

Meanwhile, this is not the first snake incident involving AirAsia. In February 2022, a spotted python was found on AirAsia flight AK574, a domestic flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, to Tawau, a city on the eastern coast of Borneo Island, which led to an emergency landing. The flight was diverted to Kuching International Airport in Sarawak, about 900 km west of the intended destination. At the time of landing, the snake was still inside the cabin light fixture above the seats.

Also, in October of the same year, a garter snake was found inside a United Airlines flight that departed from Tampa, USA, and arrived at Newark International Airport. The snake was discovered just before landing, calmly crawling on the floor of the business class section. Passengers panicked, screaming and lifting their legs to avoid the snake, turning the cabin into chaos. Although garter snakes are classified as venomous snakes, they do not possess venom that is deadly to humans. Flight attendants contacted the airport to manage the situation, and airport police captured the snake after the plane reached the gate and released it back into the wild. Fortunately, there were no casualties caused by the snake.