“A Snake Came Out When the Carpet Was Lifted” ... Snake Scare Grounds Japanese Flight

[Financial News] A snake was found aboard a Japanese domestic flight operated by Japan Air Commuter (JAC), a low-cost carrier affiliated with Japan Airlines (JAL), leading to the flight’s cancellation.
According to Kyodo News and the Nishinippon Shimbun, a 40-centimeter striped snake was found on the 19th aboard an ATR 42 aircraft that was scheduled to depart Fukuoka Airport for Kagoshima, the outlets reported on the 21st.
A pilot preparing for departure first spotted the striped snake in the cockpit. It escaped and could no longer be located, so the flight scheduled for that day was canceled. The snake was found again the next day, on the 20th. That morning, the aircraft departed Izumo Airport in Shimane Prefecture and arrived at Fukuoka Airport.
The snake in question was found by a maintenance worker. The worker spotted the striped snake hiding under a carpet at the rear of the cabin, and a pest-control specialist captured it. The snake was a juvenile that had not yet reached adulthood, and its route into the aircraft has not been determined.
The airline said, “As far as we have been able to confirm, there have been no previous cases of a snake entering the cabin,” and apologized, saying, “We are sorry for inconveniencing our passengers.” The airline believes the snake entered the aircraft from the wild.
The striped snake grows to 80–200 centimeters as an adult and is reportedly nonvenomous.
[email protected] Kim Hee-seon Reporter