Snake found under carpet forces Japan Airlines flight cancellation

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 21:20 · Archive

A 40cm snake was discovered under the cabin carpet of a Japan Air Commuter plane at Fukuoka Airport on Monday, forcing the cancellation of a scheduled flight to Kagoshima prefecture. The reptile was found by a mechanic at around 12.50pm as the crew prepared for take-off. The plane had arrived from Izumo Airport earlier that day.

Japan Air Commuter said it remained unclear how the snake had boarded the aircraft. The airline stated in a statement: 'As far as we can determine, there has never been a case of a snake getting into the cabin. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to passengers.' The Mirror reports the snake was identified by an expert as a juvenile Japanese striped snake.

Following the discovery, the aircraft was searched to check for any other wildlife on board. A wildlife control expert conducted a 24-hour hunt and later captured the reptile. The snake was determined to be non-venomous and from the wild.

How it is being reported

• Snake found slithering under carpet on Japan Air plane before take-offPassengers waiting to begin their journey at Fukuoka Airport in Japan found their flight had been cancelled after a serpentine stowaway was discovered on board the aircraftThe Mirror · 21 Oct, 21:05
• Snake on plane causes flight to be cancelled in first of its kind incidentA snake was found on a Japan Airlines flight (Picture: James Matsumoto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) A snake managed to sneak aboard a plane in Japan leaving officials baffled as to where it came from. The creature’s unexpected appearance resulted in a flight being cancelled and a…Metro · 21 Oct, 10:38

In this story: Japan Air Commuter · Fukuoka Airport · Kagoshima · Izumo Airport

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