A flight was delayed after a pesky bird decided to hitch a ride in the plane’s cabin.
The winged stowaway, believed to have been an Eurasian tree sparrow, defied animal transportation rules on a Cathay Pacific flight yesterday (27 Jan).
The feathered intruder snuck into the cabin at Hong Kong International Airport.
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Cathay Pacific flight CX452 was due to fly to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, when the ticketless passenger whizzed through the cabin.
Footage shows the sparrow flying past a row of luggage compartments as ground staff frantically communicate via walkie-talkies.
A man in a white T-shirt, believed to be a passenger, is later seen trapping the bird with a blanket.
He then carries it through the cabin to thunderous applause.
The clip delighted viewers online, with one person joking: “I believe I can fly.”
A second person added: “An alternative bird strike.”
The Airbus A330 departed Hong Kong about 50 minutes later than the scheduled time of 8:55am.
The flight then landed in Taiwan at around 11:10am, around 45 minutes later than expected, as reported by Need To Know.
Jam Press has contacted Cathay Pacific for comment.
Birds cause issues for many thousands of air travellers per year, according to statistics.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, there have been 270,000 reports of wildlife strikes to planes between 2016 and 2021.
Most strikes happen during take-off or landing as birds are more commonly present at lower altitudes.
