Passengers in the business class cabin of a United Airlines flight shrieked and jumped to their feet as a snake slithered along the plane floor on Monday.
The stowaway on United flight 2038 went undetected for most of the two-hour 40 minute journey, but was eventually sighted after the flight from Tampa, Florida landed at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
A passenger told News 12 New Jersey that, following landing, the snake was spotted making its way through the business class section of the aircraft, with customers at the front leaping to their feet and shrieking as they saw it.
It was later identified as a harmless garter snake by an animal control representative at Newark Airport, who met the plane along with Port Authority police officers.
Garter snakes are common across the United States, and tend to be slender, although they can grow to up to 137cm long.
While their bite can be toxic to small animals and amphibians, the distinctively striped creatures pose no threat to humans.
The reptile was later released into the wild, Port Authority spokesperson Cheryl Ann Albiez confirmed to press on Tuesday. She also said that no one onboard was harmed and that the plane was later able to depart Newark Airport as scheduled.
A United Airlines spokesperson told the Guardian that airline staff had “called the appropriate authorities to take care of the situation”.
Snakes on commercial aircraft have been a curiosity well before the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane.
In February 2022 an AirAsia flight had to be re-routed after a snake was spotted in the cabin.
Meanwhile, in July, one flight attendant accused their airline of leaving a severed snake head in their inflight meal.
