A snake spotted moving through a plane’s lights caused an AirAsia flight to be rerouted Feb. 10 in Malaysia.
Snake on a plane! AirAsia flight to Tawau diverted to Kuching pic.twitter.com/aqyOexym8b
— Free Malaysia Today (@fmtoday) February 11, 2022
The flight was traveling domestically from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, to Tawau when the snake was discovered, according to CNN. A person on board reportedly captured video of the reptile’s outline slithering in the overhead lights, and it was shared on TikTok. (RELATED: Australian Flight Really Had Snakes On A Plane)
The flight was re-routed to the Malaysian city of Kuching after the pilot was notified of the slithering stowaway, CNN reported. Upon arrival in Kuching, the plane was fumigated and the snake was assumedly taken out of the aircraft before passengers re-boarded to resume the flight, according to the outlet.
“This is a very rare incident which can occur on any aircraft from time to time,” AirAsia’s chief safety officer, Capt. Liong Tien Ling, said in a statement to CNN. “The Captain took the appropriate action and the flight safely departed for Tawau as soon as possible.”
“The safety and well-being of our guests and crew is always our top priority,” Ling also said. “At no time was the safety of guests or crew at any risk.”
Currently, the type of snake that was on board is unknown, according to USA Today. The snake’s appearance sparked commenters on the TikTok video to reference the 2006 movie “Snakes On A Plane” starring Samuel L. Jackson.