by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:00 PM ET, Fri May 20, 2016
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
Last month, passengers on an Air Transat flight from the Dominican Republic to Canada were in for a major shock when two tarantulas were discovered loose on the plane.
According to CBC News, the Air Transat flight from Punta Cana to Montreal was going according to schedule when the spiders were discovered late in the trip. The tarantulas-which measured between 10-and-20 centimeters-are common in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and were likely hidden in a passenger's luggage with the intent of selling them.
One of the spiders was caught by a passenger, but the other wasn't discovered until the plane had been cleared by officials. During the incident, the flight crew asked the people onboard to put on their shoes and cover their ankles.
Air Transat's flight attendant union vice president Julie Roberts told CBC News that attendants "did what they could to calm people down. They gave First Aid to the person who said that a spider climbed his legs."
"Our cabin crew are trained to ensure the safety of our passengers at all times," Air Transat spokeswoman Debbie Cabana told CBC News. "In the case at hand, which is an extraordinary and isolated event, our staff reacted promptly and efficiently."
While the airline union said there were no procedures in place to handle spiders, Air Transat believes they will be better prepared should a similar incident ever occur again.
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