Snake on a plane grounds Dubai-bound flight in Oman

Snake on a plane grounds Dubai-bound flight in Oman
A flight between Muscat and Dubai was grounded Sunday, when cabin crew discovered an unwanted passenger stowed away in the cargo hold.
1 min read
09 Jan, 2017
The sneaky serpent was spotted prior to boarding [Getty]
An unexpected stowaway grounded a flight between Oman's capital Muscat and Dubai on Sunday, sparking fears of real-life episode of Samuel L. Jackson's blockbuster Snakes on a Plane.

Staff spotted the unwanted guest lurking among luggage on the Emirates flight prior to passengers boarding on Sunday morning.

The snake was discovered slithering through the cargo hold causing the flight to be cancelled, local media reported.

"Flight EK0863 from Muscat to Dubai on 8 January 2017 was cancelled due to a detection of a snake in the cargo hold prior to passengers boarding," a spokesperson told The National.

"Engineering and cleaning teams are working to clear the aircraft to re-enter service. We apologise for the inconvenience caused."

There was no mention of what type of snake was found.

Flights in the Gulf have been seriously disrupted over the past month due to heavy fog.

On Sunday, a private jet travelling between the Maldives and Abu Dhabi made an emergency landing at Muscat airport due to an injured passenger.

The 2006 film Snakes on a Plane saw passengers attacked by aggressive serpents, sparking fears that the scenario could play out in real life.