Scorpion Found On Plane Leaves EasyJet Passengers Stranded In Paris

Would-be flyers were temporarily stranded in Paris on Monday after a passenger spotted a scorpion aboard a Glasgow-bound flight. The plane, which was departing from Charles de Gaulle Airport, was delayed overnight in order to be fumigated.

“We were about to board, and as we were at the bottom of the gate a cleaner came out and said she saw a scorpion run up the inside of the plane, over the seats and back down again,” Glasgow resident Jimmy Smith, 62, told the Daily Record. “They're being quiet about it now, but as we were passing a guy who was taking boarding passes I heard him say there was a scorpion.”

“We only found out about everything through the easyJet app. At first it was delayed until 4pm, then 7pm, 8pm,” passenger Graham Mckinnon told the Guardian. “[I] overheard someone at the desk ask what was happening and they were told the plane was needing a clean. Then heard it was a broken chair, before the app released a picture stating it was in fact a scorpion that had been found.”

According to Mckinnon, the carrier’s app notification read: “We were hoping that we would be able to continue with your flight today but we were informed that a scorpion was sighted on board your plane.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how the arachnid got on the plane, though rats and other pests are known to board flights by following the storage cases in which food trays are kept. Scorpions have also boarded flights in luggage and clothing.

“I've no idea how it got on, they were saying something about people taking stuff through in glass containers to take somewhere else — and that's how it got out,” he told the Daily Record.

The airline said that passengers were being offered hotel accommodations for the inconvenience. It also released a statement about the incident and confirmed that a passenger had indeed spotted the scorpion.

“We can confirm that a passenger reported to crew that a scorpion was on board. The safety and comfort of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority so, as a precaution, the aircraft will be fumigated before its next flight,” the airline said. “Although this is outside of our control, we would like apologise for any inconvenience to passengers.”

Monday’s incident isn’t the only report in recent months of uninvited scorpions boarding passenger planes. A similar incident occurred in May aboard a United Airlines flight, which was delayed for hours at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston after the arachnid clawed out from a passenger’s clothing. During another incident in April — also aboard a United Airlines craft — a scorpion fell from an overhead bin and landed in a man’s hair. He was stung after attempting to pick it up.

EasyJet did not immediately return International Business Times’ request for comment.