Snake forces cancellation of Emirates flight

A snake found on board an Emirates aircraft forced the cancellation of a flight from Muscat to Dubai.

The snake was discovered on Sunday prior any passengers boarding the 10.50am flight, and was cancelled to allow for a cleaning crew to carry out a detailed service before the Boeing 777 aircraft returns to service.

“Emirates can confirm that flight EK0863 from Muscat to Dubai on 8 January 2017, was cancelled due to a detection of a snake in the cargo hold prior to passengers boarding,” said an Emirates spokesperson.

“Engineering and cleaning teams are working to clear the aircraft to re-enter service. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”