From the Stinky Durian to the Smelly Poo: 5 Hilarious Flight Delay Stories

1. Stinkin' Up the Skies: The Durian Attack on Turkish Airlines

The durian fruit, a spiky fruit considered a delicacy in Southeast Asia, is notorious for its strong and unpleasant odour when it is ripe. Once again, the durian fruit has caused significant issues.

On March 6th, 2023, a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 that was travelling from Istanbul to Barcelona was delayed for 5.5 hours due to an unusual smell coming from the cargo hold. After investigation, it was determined that the source of the smell was a shipment of durian fruits, which caused discomfort to the passengers and resulted in the flight being returned to Istanbul.

This is not the first time durian fruit has caused issues on a flight. In 2018, an Indonesian plane was delayed for an hour after passengers complained about the strong smell of durian fruit being transported on the plane. In 2019, a shipment of durian caused a flight delay in Germany. Despite the controversy surrounding its odour, durian remains a popular fruit in Southeast Asia, with many people willing to brave its strong smell for the sweet, creamy flesh inside.

2. Rat on a Plane: Air India Flight Forced to Turn Back Mid-Flight

Flying can already be a nerve-wracking experience for some people, but imagine being on a plane and seeing a rat scurrying around.

On December 31st, 2015, passengers on Air India Flight AI 131 travelling from Mumbai to London experienced just that when the flight was forced to turn back mid-flight due to a rat sighting on board. This is not the first time that a rat has been spotted on an Air India flight. In July 2015, one of their aircraft was forced to return to New Delhi during a flight to Milan because of a similar sighting.

Although the presence of the rat was not confirmed, the airline decided to abort the flight as a precautionary measure in the interest of passenger safety. Rats are known to occasionally board aircraft with catering and other supplies, and they can pose serious hazards if they chew through wires or cause other technical problems.