Passengers flying from Shanghai to Jinan, China, were met with surprise when a woman’s pet sugar glider escaped on board, hid in the cabin and forced everyone to disembark.
According to The Independent, the owner of the possum was “a 34-year-old woman identified by her surname Guo.” She was ultimately detained for violating airline pet regulations. Guo reportedly hid the animal in her clothes during security checks.
The incident occurred on a China Eastern Airlines flight on Monday, according to CNN.
The Shanghai Police International Airport Branch released a statement on Weibo, saying that “the pet escaped in the cabin and was captured by others, causing the flight to be delayed due to safety issues.”
Guo, who brought the pet onboard, “has been administratively detained by the police in accordance with the law for the illegal act of disrupting the order on public transportation,” according to police.
Per CNN, passengers took photos and videos of the event and posted them to social media. The frustration of all on board is evident. In one video, a female passenger spoke up, saying, “(Let’s) call the police.”
Another passenger agreed with her: “Get her out and (make her) apologize to everyone!”
Next, the female passenger shouted toward the staff: “You, the airport should call the police, too. How did she get on board (with a possum)?”
Ultimately, the sugar glider was found and captured, and the passengers were able to board the flight again, landing at their final destination just about an hour over when the flight was originally due.
Are there pet policies on flights?
There are rules that passengers must abide by when traveling with pets. While flight regulations for passengers with service animals may differ, many regulations for pet travel are the same.
United and American Airlines, for example, limit carry-on pets to cats and dogs.
“You can bring up to two pets per person. However, you must buy two seats on your flight if you’re bringing 2 pets. Your second seat needs to be next to your assigned seat so you can care for both pets,” according to United.
Both airlines also require the cat or dog to stay in a pet carrier for the duration of the flight.
Delta has similar rules, but also allows pet birds to be taken on board as a carry-on pet, provided they remain in a kennel while onboard.
Southwest allows its passengers to transport vaccinated cats and dogs as carry-ons, though they must be at least eight weeks of age.
Passengers should also verify whether they are allowed to transport their pets internationally. Depending on the flight, travelers may not be able to bring their pets with them to certain countries.