Pigs flew: Terrible stench caused by 100 PIGS forces holiday flight to Mexico to land so passengers can get fresh air
A holiday flight to Mexico had to make an unscheduled landing in Bermuda due to a terrible stench caused by 100 pigs in the cargo hold.
Flight KL685, operated by Dutch airline KLM, was flying from Amsterdam to Mexico City just after 3pm on Friday with 259 passengers on board when the pilot made an unusual landing request six hours into the flight.
The captain said live pigs in the cargo hold gave off such an “unpleasant” odor that the plane would have to make an unscheduled stop for a fresh air break before continuing its journey.
When the tower asked the pilot to confirm if there were any live pigs in the cargo hold, he replied, “Yes, and those are probably the cause of the inconvenience, so they need to be offloaded, but we’ll see about that later.” ‘
The plane landed at LF Wade International Airport in Bermuda late Friday, where passengers and crew were put up in hotels for the night due to the reported “oxygen problem” on board.
The 100 pigs were unloaded and transported to a “safe location” on the island for their unplanned “vacation stay,” according to Bermuda Flyer.
After the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was properly ventilated, they left for Mexico City around 10 p.m. on Saturday, with a delay of almost 30 hours.
But the pigs were stranded on the North Atlantic island until last night, when an empty cargo plane arrived in Bermuda to pick up the pigs and transport them to Mexico City.
Flight KL685, operated by Dutch airline KLM, was flying from Amsterdam to Mexico City just after 3 p.m. on Friday with 259 passengers on board when the pilot made an unusual landing request six hours into the flight (file image of a KLM flight that took off on the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol)
The captain said live pigs in the cargo hold emitted such an “unpleasant” odor that the plane would have to make an unscheduled stop for a fresh air break before it could continue its journey (stock image)
A flight tracker shows the journey of the KLM flight, which had to make an unplanned landing in Bermuda
“The welfare of the animals is a priority,” the Bermuda government said in a statement about the care of the pigs while they were on the island.
“Government Veterinarian Dr Jonathan Nisbett and animal care staff from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources have been caring for the pigs and ensuring they are well cared for,” it added.
A Skyport spokesperson said: ‘The 259 passengers and crew, who certainly never expected their journey to be wild, have been processed through immigration and are being housed in local hotels, thanks to rapid coordination between Skyport, local authorities and Delta Air Lines . , KLM’s aviation partner.
‘In the meantime, the pigs – who live high on the pig during their improvised holiday break – are being cared for in a safe location on the island, with the help of a government veterinarian.’
After both the passenger plane and the cargo plane carrying the pigs departed Bermuda, the island’s government said: “The coordinated efforts reflect the island’s commitment to caring for all visitors – whether they walk on two legs or trot on four.”
It is not clear whether the live pigs were loaded in the wrong place in the plane’s cargo hold, allowing their odor to enter the cockpit.