Passengers at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) encountered an unusual intruder on Monday morning, which caused quite a stir. A raccoon dropped from the ceiling, startling Spirit Airlines passengers, many of whom started running around in panic.
Airport experiences can be stressful on a regular day, given the last-minute dash to terminals, the long lines at check-in counters, and sometimes convincing the airline personnel that our bags aren’t as heavy as they seem. Add to that a raccoon dropping from the ceiling unexpectedly, and cortisol levels can shoot right up.
That is exactly what happened on Monday morning at New York’s LaGuardia Airport when unsuspecting Spirit Airlines passengers saw the critter hanging from what appears to be wiring emerging from the ceiling at the airline’s gate.
When the animal made contact with the ground, the ensuing chaos had both the raccoon and the passengers scurrying for cover.
A video of the incident has gone viral, showing panic-stricken passengers screaming and running around, and even a dog barking in the background.
It’s perhaps safe to assume that the animal was eventually caught, as the video ends with a man holding a big plastic container and seemingly aware of the uphill task of chasing after the animal to capture it.
According to The Guardian, a Port Authority spokesperson said that an investigation has been launched to determine how the raccoon gained access to the airport premises.
Spirit Airlines, too, has taken steps, seeking assistance from a “professional wildlife control company,” to prevent something like this from occurring again, according to a statement.
Raccoons seem to have an affinity for unannounced arrivals at airport terminals. And It’s not just New York airports that have experienced such encounters. In 2023, a raccoon startled passengers at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) when it found its way into the baggage chute.
Airport officials maintain that in such situations, passengers should not attempt to catch the animal and should inform an airport employee.
This is Spirit Airlines' second such encounter in recent days. While the latest incident took place at its gate at an airport, various media outlets reported last month that a rat was found on a Spirit flight from Dallas to Los Angeles.
Several incidents have occurred worldwide in which animals have been able to evade airport security and airline personnel and made their way onto an airplane.
Quite often, they are spotted after the plane has taken off and sometimes even after it lands at its destination.
In 2021, an Air India flight from New Delhi to Newark had to turn around after a bat was spotted flying across the cabin of the Boeing 777 aircraft.
In 2019, it was reported that a bat got locked in the restroom of a Spirit Airlines plane that was flying from Charlotte to New York City. And in 2022, a snake was spotted on a United Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft after it landed at Newark airport.
