These Unusual Things Took Place At An Airport

When those bags are packed and it’s time to head to the airport, we are often full of excitement as well as nerves. We’ve all been there before, when we want nothing more than to sit on the plane, hear the Captain welcome you onboard and fly off to a wonderful destination for some much-needed rest and recuperation then, all of a sudden, something holds you up. Airports can be rife with unexpected events and it can never be guaranteed what you will encounter once there, whether it is a long queue at the check-in desk or noticing something very unusual at the baggage claim. No matter how stressful airports may be, if we want that dream holiday where we can sip on cocktails, lie on the beach and listen to the sound of the sea and top up our tan, we simply cannot avoid them, so we have to breathe and brave it. Certainly not a place one can find peace, you are almost guaranteed to find entertainment.

Help Needed

Back in 2014, as temperatures in Siberia plummeted and reached a freezing -61 °F, passengers on a plane were asked for their help. As ice rested upon everything in sight, it wasn’t long before the plane’s brake pads became frozen, so much so, that the plane could not move, no matter how hard the captain tried. The first attempt to move the plane saw a pushback tractor fail miserably and so the passengers took it upon themselves, jumped out of the plane and all began to push it. They must have desperately wanted the get to their destination.

When Every Flight Was Cancelled

In 2017, Atlanta’s, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport erupted into chaos. As passengers monitored the display board, waiting for their flight information to appear, all of a sudden, they were shocked to see the dreaded word, CANCELLED, appear on the screen.

Unlike most situations, this didn’t just apply to one flight, but rather to all of them. This was a major event considering it took place at the busiest airport in the world. As passengers rushed over to the information desks, and customer service agents stared at them with blank faces, it was understood that up to 700 flights had just been canceled, due to a fire close to the airport where the smoke interfered with all flight plans.

Fast Asleep On The X-Ray Machine

We have no idea how this managed to happen with airport security around but either way, we’re happy it did. At Rome-Fiumicino International Airport, a rumored drunken passenger managed to fall asleep on the baggage belt and then went through the X-ray machine.

The 36-year-old man, who was originally from Norway, lounged around the airport looking for somewhere to lie down while he waited for his flight. Noticing a check-in counter that was unattended, he snuck behind the desk, curled up into a ball and went to sleep. Funnily enough, the man made it 160 feet before the airport security pulled him off the belt, it is safe to say, they were not at all impressed.

Full Of Gold

Only last year, a story about the Indira Gandhi International Airport made headlines after a man was found with almost ten bars of gold hidden in a rather unusual place. Leaving Dubai and traveling to Delhi, the 24-year-old was caught at the Indian airport after scanners alerted staff to the gold, as he walked through security.

The bars weighed just over two pounds, so they would have been rather easy to conceal. Although the gold didn’t weigh so much, the value reached around $45,000! Airport security and staff are still very surprised when it comes to finding smuggled goods. Since most people get caught, they can’t understand while people still continue to try!

Tiny Tiger Cub

When one man was leaving Thailand following a three-month backpacking trip, he was stunned to see a woman being detained at check-in. Unbelievably, she was caught trying to smuggle a live tiger cub through customs, to which she intended on selling the animal on the black market, outside of the country.

The cub was found amongst her belongings, inside of her suitcase, sedated, with a toy tiger beside it. We can only assume that the toy was a decoy from the animal and was added to make it appear as if both were cuddly fakes. On the black market, the sweet 12-week-old cub is classed as an exotic pet and could have made the women $3,000. We’re just happy someone intervened.

Quarantine Needed

Quarantine is mostly something we hear about on movies, and more or less something none of us really has to deal with when it comes to flying, but that wasn’t the case on an Emirates Flight at JFK Airport.

Amongst 500 passengers, many began to show fever like symptoms by coughing and reduced body temperatures. The emergency department was contacted and arrived on site as a matter of urgency. All the passengers were held in quarantine while an investigation took place.

Hackers Games

When it comes to hackers, there are some people in the world who can implement a cyberattack with a few taps of their keyboard and leave no trace what so ever. This is exactly what happened at Bristol Airport, as the unknown suspect hacked into the display boards.

It caused them to fail and wiped all flight information. Talking about the attack, an airport representative said, “a speculative online criminal attempt.” It was a few days before the system was back up and running.

Unforgiving Smell

If you have ever visited South-East Asia, you may have noticed “No Durian” signs almost everywhere, and there is a more than valid reason for this. This particular fruit pongs like no other and its smell was once described as “turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock”.

Yikes! Last year, the fruit caused pandemonium on a flight as it was stored in the cargo area. The smell traveled into the passenger area, resulting in those on board to protest until it was removed.

Stop Monkeying Around

On many occasions, animals will be officially passed through airports for various reasons. In this case, an old-world monkey from the rhesus macaque species was being transported through Texas’ San Antonio International to a wonderful new life at a sanctuary.

However, a problem occurred, and the monkey managed to escape from its cage, as it made its way from the cargo department. Passengers were alerted to a “wildlife issue” and were told to “remain calm” as the monkey caused mayhem at the airport for over an hour.

Severn Years Bad Luck

With all the stresses that come with being at the airport, the thing that most people dread the most is a delayed flight. At the Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, a woman became enraged following a delayed flight cancellation.

In some cases, a delayed flight can result in the passenger missing an important event, however, violence never gets you anywhere! Losing her cool after the announcement was made, the woman smashed a window that looked out onto the runway.

That’s My Squirrel

If you have ever seen a squirrel before, you will know that they are rather unsettled, and are often moving in a quick fashion. Despite the fact there have only ever been a few stories where a squirrel has been domesticated and treated as a pet, it is far from common.

At Orlando International Airport, one woman claimed a squirrel to be her “emotional support squirrel”. Airline staff were not so keen on the situation and told the woman she would not be able to fly. After refusing to leave, the other passengers were removed from the plane while she was escorted off by officers.

Fish Bowl

It seems as though people come up with some seriously inventive ideas when they are desperate to get things passed airport security, and some are even willing to take their chances against some of the tightest security there is.

In 2005, Melbourne Airport detained a woman for traveling with live fish. With a specially made apron, she made the attempt with 15 bags of water and live fish strapped under her trousers. Staff became suspicious when they heard unusual sounds coming from her body as she walked through the airport.

Wait For Me

One of the things people tend to worry about the most when it comes to flying is missing the plane! Terrified of anything that may get in the way, most of us arrive three to four hours before the departure is scheduled to leave but someone, was willing to do almost anything to ensure she was on her flight.

In Bali, after missing the boarding call, a woman broke through security and chased her plane down the runway. It wasn’t long until a staff member restrained her.

Joyride On The Runway

As staff stood on the runway, guiding incoming flights into position at Minnesota’s Duluth International Airport, they witnessed something they certainly never expected to see on the grounds of the airport.

The crazy event saw a man, who was reportedly intoxicated, smash through the security fence and take his car for a spin on the runway. As police cars set on his tail, it wasn’t long until he was stopped, arrested and charged for several felonies.

Mass Brawl

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida is allegedly not the quietest of airports and it has seen its fair share of trouble and in 2017, it was no different.

As over 500 passengers took their seat on an aircraft and prepared to jet off to their destination, a dreaded voice made an announcement through the speaker system, informing that the flight had now been canceled and therefore they needed to disembark. Not surprisingly, this annoyed many people and resulted in a mass brawl between passengers and staff.

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