New Zealand – A flight was delayed by a surprise visitor on the runway, a penguin, causing chaos at the Wellington International Airport and making for some interesting social media posts.
The aircraft, bound for Auckland, left passengers flabbergasted after a curious little penguin waddled onto the runway, halting all the traffic. According to airport staff, the bird seemed unbothered by all the fuss, casually parading around as if it owned the place.
But the sight of such an exotic visitor wasn’t appreciated by everyone. One passenger tweeted: “I mean, I love animals, but seriously, a penguin on the runway, of all places? I hope we’re not expected to fly with birds, or worse – reptiles – next time!”
Naturally, the long wait had some passengers fuming with frustration. Some started to question why fail-safe methods to prevent such an event from happening weren’t employed. Others blamed aviation officials for not taking the matter of animal control seriously.
But one passenger was quick to point out the silver lining. “I’m not going to lie. Seeing a little penguin waddle down a runway sure beats sitting with a stale cup of coffee in an airport lounge.”
Meanwhile, airport officials were in a tizzy, as they drafted in animal control experts to help move the cheeky chappie back to its natural habitat.
“We are committed to ensuring the safety of passengers, and in hindsight, maybe our security measures need improving,” an airport official said. “But who would have thought a penguin would turn up in the middle of a runway?”
The incident caused a nationwide stir, with the hashtag #PenguinOnTheRunway trending on Twitter as people took to social media to express their astonishment and amusement.
Among the comments were: “Wellington Airport out here solving the age-old question, ‘Why did the penguin cross the runway?” and “Everybody’s complaining about the delay, but no one has asked the penguin for its opinion!”
As for the little guy who caused all the fuss, it was all in a day’s work. The penguin has since been identified as a little blue penguin, a rare breed native to New Zealand’s South Island.
A spokesperson for the airport has confirmed that the penguin was relocated to a nearby wildlife sanctuary, where it will be free to live out its days in peace, without ever again causing flights to be delayed.
In summary, it seems that even the smallest of creatures can cause the biggest of delays. But for the lucky passengers who got to witness a penguin waddle its way across a runway – it was a rare treat that they won’t soon forget!
