The pilot of the Malaysian plane from Kuala Lumpur was forced to make an emergency landing after a snake was found onboard.
AirAsia is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations. AirAsia operates scheduled domestic and international flights to more than 165 destinations spanning 25 countries.
AirAsia flight passengers got a shock last week when the silhouette of a live snake became visible slithering on the overhead light fixture. The incident occurred on Thursday on board an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau in Malaysia.
E-dal Tay with TikTok username @edal8808 shared the clip that shows the snake’s silhouette wiggling above passengers’ heads, attracting thousands of comments from shocked viewers.
Following the terrifying incident, the E-dal Tay video clip became viral in no such time and got a number of 3 million views and comments from all social media users all over the world.
According to Channel News Asia, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing in the middle of the flight in Kuching, 560 miles west of Tawau, so the plane could be fumigated. The passengers then boarded another flight to continue their journey.
One commenter wrote, referencing the 2006 movie: “Snakes on a plane is real”. A second viewer said: “New Fear Unlock.” Someone agreed to say: “The real nightmare.”
Social media users joked the incident was all-too-reminiscent of the 2006 action film that featured Jackson as an FBI agent trapped on a jet filled with venomous serpents.
AirAsia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NPR. However, the airline’s chief security officer Liong Tien Ling confirmed the incident in a statement to CNN Türk.
Officer Ling said: “AirAsia is aware of the incident that occurred on the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau on Thursday. As soon as the captain was notified, the plane was diverted to Kuching to be disinfected.”
“The captain took the appropriate action, at no time was the safety of guests or crew at any risk. This is a very rare incident which can occur on any aircraft from time to time,” he added.
The airlines said that the plane was already searched and fumigated after the landing. They also disinfect the plane to make it more comfortable for the guest.
Malaysian newspaper The Star reported that the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia was working with the airline over the incident.
AirAsia’s main base is klia2, the low-cost carrier terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. Its affiliate airlines, Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, Philippines AirAsia, and AirAsia India have bases in Bangkok–Don Mueang, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Manila–Ninoy Aquino, and Bangalore–Kempegowda airports respectively, while its sister airline, AirAsia X, focuses on long-haul routes.