AirAsia flight to Phuket turns into nightmare as snake emerges in cabin

A passenger spotted the snake in the overhead bins of the plane bound for Phuket on January 12.

The sighting of the snake led to panic among the passengers. While some recoiled in terror, others observed the reptile moving freely overhead with a blend of curiosity and fear. The cabin crew, however, managed to maintain their composure.

Shared social media videos captured one of the flight attendants attempting to catch the snake using a plastic water bottle and a bag. He successfully trapped it after a while.

"This is an exceedingly rare occurrence that can occasionally happen on any flight," stated an AirAsia spokesperson as quoted by CNN. The airline also released a statement affirming that, in their view, "the safety of passengers and crew was never threatened at any point." Intriguingly, this isn't the first incident of its kind on an AirAsia flight. In February 2022, a python was discovered on a domestic flight in Malaysia, from Kuala Lumpur to Sabah.

The incident did not disrupt the rest of the flight, which landed safely in Thailand. The local airport authorities were alerted about the incident, and as soon as the plane touched down, relevant personnel took charge of the snake. The plane underwent a comprehensive check before its next departure. The exact means by which the snake boarded the plane and its species remain unclear.