Highlights
- The incident was reported on Monday
- Flight operations were not affected, a statement confirmed
- United said passengers alerted the crew to the snake and the airline
A snake onboard a United flight sent passengers into a panic on Monday. The incident was reported on Monday onboard a flight from Florida's Tampa city to New Jersey.
Later, workers at the Newark Liberty International Airport caught the reptile.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in a statement said the airport's wildlife operations staff and Port Authority Police Department officers met United Flight 2038 at the gate and removed the "garter snake".
They later released it into the wild, according to a report.
The statement further added that no one was injured and flight operations were not affected.
In a statement, United said passengers alerted the crew to the snake and the airline "called the appropriate authorities to take care of the situation."
The Washington Times reported that the passengers flying in business class spotted the snake while the plane was taxiing after landing.
Passengers started shrieking and pulling up their feet, according to the TV station.
After the snake was removed, passengers deplaned with their baggage and the plane was searched for any other reptiles crawling aboard and found none, according to the New York Post citing Simple Flying.
There were no reports of injuries to any passenger or crew member.
(With inputs from ANI)
Also Read | Bangkok passenger arrested at Chennai airport for carrying 15 live king snakes
