A flight faced delays when an unauthorized passenger, suspected to be a Eurasian tree sparrow, snuck into the cabin at Hong Kong International Airport, causing a commotion among the crew. The incident occurred on a Cathay Pacific flight bound for Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Ground staff were seen on video trying to manage the situation as the bird flew around the cabin, with a passenger eventually capturing it with a blanket to the applause of other travelers. The Airbus A330 departed nearly an hour later than scheduled but arrived in Taiwan about 45 minutes behind the original arrival time.
The unexpected bird sighting amused online viewers, with some joking about the incident. This event follows a similar situation in 2019 when a starling surprised passengers in business class on a Singapore Airlines flight to London Heathrow.
Statistics reveal that wildlife strikes, like this bird incident, pose a challenge for air travel, with thousands of such occurrences reported annually. Most incidents happen during take-off or landing due to birds being more prevalent at lower altitudes.