Thousands of Bees Attack Airbus A319, Trap Passengers Onboard

Bees on a plane grounded a flight in Russia, stranding passengers aboard an Airbus A319.

An Airbus A319 bound for St. Petersburg was no match for a swarm of bees that decided the aircraft was a threat. Daily Mail reports the situation took place at Vnukovo International Airport (VKO), as the aircraft was taxiing for takeoff.

The flight, operated by Rossiya Airlines, was preparing to depart from the Moscow airport when the bees descended on the aircraft. Photographs show thousands of bees congregating on and around the wings, even swarming around the windows of the aircraft.

Airport staff worked to “efficiently and quickly” remove the bees from the airplane, causing the flight to be delayed by only one hour. Although paramedics were called on stand-by, there were no injuries reported by the airport or the flight crew. The bees never got into the aircraft, only swarming around the outside of the jet.

Though it is unclear why the bees decided to attach themselves to the A319, experts believe the aircraft presented a natural gathering place for the migrating insects. The Daily Mail reports bees have not only been found on aircraft, but have been known to congregate in baggage loading equipment and open terminals as well.

The incident marks at least the third time this year that an aircraft was affected by bees swarming on the plane. In April 2015, an Allegiant Air flight from Las Vegas was forced to return to the airport mid-flight after bees entered the engines and covered up the windshield. Last month, a Flybe flight was also forced to return to its airport of origin after a single bee took out the aircraft’s navigation systems.

[Photos: East2West via Daily Mail]