- United Airlines passengers spotted a snake in business class after the plane landed in Newark.
- Some passengers shrieked and raised their legs when the snake made an appearance, per News 12 The Bronx.
Passengers onboard a United Airlines plane were shocked to discover a surprise traveler slithering around in business class, according to media reports on Tuesday.
A snake was found on Monday after the plane, which had flown from Florida to New Jersey, had landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, a spokesperson for the port authority of New York and New Jersey told Insider.
People sat in business class shrieked and lifted their feet up when they spotted the snake on the plane, a passenger on the flight told News 12 The Bronx.
The reptile was identified as a garter snake, the port authorities said. Garter snakes, also known as grass snakes, are typically up to 66 centimeters long, non-venomous, and not dangerous to humans, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Thankfully, they are different from the snakes in the 2006 movie "Snakes on a Plane" starring Samuel L. Jackson.
Once the plane reached the gate, officials removed the snake and then released it into the wild, the spokesperson for the port authority said.
No one was injured and there was no disruption to airport operations, the spokesperson said.
United told Reuters and other publications that passengers alerted cabin crew to the snake and airport officials in Newark helped with the situation.
The port authorities and United failed to disclose how the snake ended up on the flight, per reports. The airline didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of operating hours.
It's not the first time a snake has rattled passengers on a flight. An AirAsia flight was diverted in February after passengers discovered a snake in an overhead light fixture on the plane.
A likely more disturbing experience occurred on a SunExpress flight earlier this year when an attendant found a snake's head in her in-flight meal earlier this year.