India to probe how snake got on Dubai-bound plane

Passengers disembarked safely and the aircraft was fumigated

Indian aviation officials are investigating how a snake came to be on a flight from Kozhikode in Kerala to Dubai. AFP

A snake was found on an Air India Express flight that landed in Dubai on Saturday.

Staff of the Boeing 737 found the snake in the cargo hold after landing in the emirate.

All passengers disembarked safely and the plane was fumigated, Indian officials said.

The aircraft was travelling from Kozhikode, Kerala, home to one of the busiest airports in the South Indian state.

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said a lapse by ground staff was behind the incident and an investigation had been launched.

Air India Express has been contacted for further comment.

Even though it is uncommon, snakes have previously been found on commercial flights.

Most recently, on October 18, a non-venomous snake was found on United Airlines Flight 2038. A passenger spotted it on the floor after the plane had landed at an airport in Newark, New Jersey.

In January 2017, an Emirates flight from Muscat to Dubai was grounded after a snake was found in the cargo hold.

“Flight EK0863 from Muscat to Dubai on January 8, 2017, was cancelled due to a detection of a snake in the cargo hold prior to passengers boarding,” a spokeswoman said at the time.

On November 8, 2016, first-class passengers on an Aeromexico flight in Mexico were confronted by another snake.

A video on Twitter showed it making its way out of an overhead luggage locker and dropping into the cabin.

Watch: Snake found on an Aeromexico flight in Mexico in 2016