Can You Take Ants on a Plane?
WouterGetting ants on a plane isn’t something to do on a daily basis. But, on a recent flight from Venice, Italy to Newark, New Jersey, ants did make an appearance.
One passenger noticed the ants in his overhead bin before the flight even took off. Then he saw six ants scurry across the top of the bin. Once the plane took off, the ants spread throughout the aircraft and spread to the passengers. The ants made their way to the cabin, where cabin crew had to scramble to contain them with limited resources.
An employee of United Airlines came by the cabin to inform the passengers that the ants were indeed onboard. He walked over with a wet cloth and then cleaned the ants off the plane. The ants had already made their way to the windows and seat cushions.
Another passenger noticed the ants in his overhead bin and claimed to have seen ants streaming out of the window well. However, when he opened the door to the compartment, ants started to swarm in the aisle and the cabin. The ants, which were found to be a native species of ant, were not allowed to cross state borders in the United States.
The ant-in-a-bag incident occurred on United Airlines flight UA169 from Venice, Italy to Newark, New jersey. It was a 767-300 with a Polaris class cabin in the business section. After a complaint was filed, the airline acknowledged the incident and notified immigration and customs.
