FIRST class flyers were treated to more than champagne and hot towels on board a recent flight to Auckland in which a poisonous centipede made itself at home in the luxury cabin.
The unwelcome visitor appeared during a flight from the Samoan capital Apia and tried to crawl up the leg of a first class passenger.
“The passenger apparently brushed off the centipede, which scuttled off, causing some commotion in the cabin,” said Craig Hughes, responsible for border clearance at the Ministry for Primary Industries.
“By the size of its claws, it would have at least caused a nasty nip.”
The 10cm-long bug, which probably hitched a ride in a passenger’s carry-on luggage, was destroyed by quarantine inspectors when the plane arrived in Auckland.
Mr Hughes said while unusual, the incident highlights the need for passengers to check their bags for creepy crawlies before flying.
“The last thing that anyone wants is a new population of poisonous centipedes, or worse, crawling around Auckland,” he said.
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