Buzz of activity, literally, stops Sabah DCM from leaving AirAsia plane
Durie Rainer Fong | July 8, 2018
More than 200 passengers were holed up for over 10 minutes inside their aircraft.
Passengers in the AirAsia plane waiting as bees outside prevent them from disembarking.
KOTA KINABALU: A swarm of bees prevented over 200 passengers including Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau and his delegation from disembarking their plane at the airport here today.
The AirAsia aircraft landed at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport from Miri at about 3.20pm, but passengers waited over 10 minutes before they were allowed to leave the plane.
“The plane stopped in front of the terminal and everyone was getting ready to leave but somehow there was a delay,” said Upko information chief Albert Bingkasan, who was also on the flight.
“Suddenly someone mentioned there were bees outside. And then the pilot announced that they couldn’t open the doors to the plane because there were about 400 to 500 bees outside,” he said.
Tangau, his wife and more than 10 other people in his delegation were returning from the 12th joint Gawai-Kaamatan celebration held by the Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Miri yesterday.
The swarm of bees on the tail of the plane at the Kota Kinabalu airport.
According to Bingkasan, baggage handlers were also careful not to approach the plane.
“The airport ground staff then managed to position the aerobridge in a way to minimise the gap between the door to the plane before we were all allowed to leave.
“We could see a swarm of bees on the tail of the plane when we reached the terminal. Thankfully everyone was safe,” he said.
