Boarded the Plane Only to Find a Cockroach Right in Front of My Seat!

① Gigantic Bug Found Inside the Aircraft

Fatigue sets in when you travel for a long time on an airplane. It’s a tough journey just being in the same position in a cramped space. Imagine how you would feel if a bug suddenly appeared in the uncomfortable cabin. You’d probably be surprised and hastily call a flight attendant.

One passenger revealed that they discovered a gigantic bug right after boarding the plane. This happened while traveling from Wellington to Auckland on Air New Zealand. Passenger Alex O’Connor shared a photo taken inside the aircraft on his social media.

In the picture, a weta, known as a New Zealand bug, was on the in-flight safety manual. Alex jokingly commented along with the photo, “Does the weta need to wear a mask?”

Alex’s followers were shocked and started leaving comments.

Netizens reacted with comments like “I would have fainted,” “I can’t believe such a big bug exists in the world,” and “This is truly the worst flight ever.”

They put the bug in a bag and carried it off the plane after landing to release it back into nature.

Alex’s post started to spread through social media.

Upon seeing this, Air New Zealand reposted Alex’s post and commented, “While the Weta doesn’t need to wear a mask, it’s regrettable to see it not practicing social distancing.”

Afterward, Air New Zealand suggested compensation to Alex, asking him to share his booking number.
They also added that it was a great decision to return the weta, an endangered species, back to nature.

Since 2012, Air New Zealand has been in partnership with New Zealand’s environmental authorities, continuously cooperating to protect and promote New Zealand’s natural environment.

② Live Cockroach on the Airplane Window

Recently, a passenger on a Chinese airplane shared a video of a cockroach crawling on the window.
The passenger posted on social media, “Traveling with a cockroach.” The post was written by a female passenger on a flight from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, to Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

She filmed the cockroach that was stuck outside the airplane window. The passenger said, “While the airplane was flying high in the sky, a cockroach was clinging to the outside of the window, maintaining its shape.” She added, “It was quite big. It seemed alive and moving as the airplane moved up and down”.

Despite the shocking sight of the cockroach, the passenger was not overly surprised.

She said, “I thought it wouldn’t be a problem as long as the cockroach didn’t squeeze through the window gap into the cabin.” She even found it amusing to observe the form of the insect, which she hadn’t had the chance to examine in detail before. For this reason, she deliberately did not tell the flight attendant about the cockroach.

The cockroach stayed stuck to the window from when the passenger boarded until the plane landed in Ningbo. When the video was released, the cockroach’s exceptional survival skills became a hot topic. Most reactions were surprised at how the cockroach clipped to the window without changing its shape, flying thousands of meters at a high altitude.

The video went viral, recording over 45 million views. It is known that cockroaches can withstand pressure up to 900 times their body weight.

③ Lawsuit Due to the Cockroach

In the past, there was a case in the U.S. where a passenger sued due to psychological damage caused by a cockroach on a plane. The passenger discovered a cockroach crawling in the overhead bin while on an AirTran flight from Charlotte to Houston. When the passenger told the flight attendant about the cockroach, the attendant reacted by asking them to keep quiet.

The passenger sued AirTran Airways for $100,000, claiming that the flight attendant intentionally deceived the passengers. The lawyer passenger said, “The appearance of the cockroach ruined the flight to Houston, and I was constantly worried that the cockroach might get into my belongings.” AirTran Airways responded, “Cleanliness is paramount for our airplanes, and we regularly undergo pest control processes.”

In 2018, there was also a commotion when cockroaches appeared on an Air Busan airplane. It was reported that three cockroaches were caught on the Air Busan airplane that day. Air Busan apologized to the passengers and explained that the plane underwent pest control.

By. Han Mia (miumia___12@mememedia.co.kr)