Photo: Facebook / Amir Zidane
Passengers on a Sriwijaya Air flight de-boarded the plane and refused to get back on it because of the prevailing stench. It turns out the cargo holds had over 2 tons of the infamously stinky durian fruit.
Though delicious, durian is one of the most easily recognizable fruits in Asia because of its strong odor. It has often been compared to the smell of raw sewage or turpentine (“garnished with a gym sock,” as per travel and food writer Richard Sterling), so you know that it’s not something you’d like to have around in an enclosed space.
According to ABC.net, that’s exactly what passengers on this flight had – about 2 tons of the fruit, locked away in the plane’s cargo holds. The problem was that the smell was so strong it had spread into the cabin, and it almost led to physical fights between passengers and the flight attendants.
“A journalist with Indonesia's Antara news agency who happened to be on the plane reported that several passengers began arguing with flight attendants and almost came to physical blows,” the report notes.
Eventually, all passengers came off the plane, refusing to come back in until the crew removed all durian fruit from the cargo holds. That took almost an hour and 2 tons were removed, but at the end of it, the plane took off from Bengkulu in Sumatra.
Footage of the incident was posted to social media, with the poster claiming that carrying the fruit in the cargo holds was some kind of hazard. While it’s true that many hotels, restaurants and airports have banned durian because of its smell, it’s not illegal for planes to carry it.
At least, that’s what Sriwijaya Air says in a statement to the same media outlet. “It's not illegal to carry durian in a flight as long as it is wrapped properly in accordance with flight regulations - carried inside the hold. Many airlines do this,” a company spokesperson says.
According to ABC.net, that’s exactly what passengers on this flight had – about 2 tons of the fruit, locked away in the plane’s cargo holds. The problem was that the smell was so strong it had spread into the cabin, and it almost led to physical fights between passengers and the flight attendants.
“A journalist with Indonesia's Antara news agency who happened to be on the plane reported that several passengers began arguing with flight attendants and almost came to physical blows,” the report notes.
Eventually, all passengers came off the plane, refusing to come back in until the crew removed all durian fruit from the cargo holds. That took almost an hour and 2 tons were removed, but at the end of it, the plane took off from Bengkulu in Sumatra.
Footage of the incident was posted to social media, with the poster claiming that carrying the fruit in the cargo holds was some kind of hazard. While it’s true that many hotels, restaurants and airports have banned durian because of its smell, it’s not illegal for planes to carry it.
At least, that’s what Sriwijaya Air says in a statement to the same media outlet. “It's not illegal to carry durian in a flight as long as it is wrapped properly in accordance with flight regulations - carried inside the hold. Many airlines do this,” a company spokesperson says.
Google News