A Penguin Poses a Fashionable Delay at Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport experienced a ten-minute delay today in a rare and rather perplexing event. The cause of this delay was a well-dressed penguin that had strolled onto the runway. The penguin, dressed in a dashing tuxedo, seemed to be pre-occupied with showing off his sense of fashion and seemed to think a runway was the perfect place to pose for the cameras.
As the plane was about to land, the penguin was spotted waddling onto the runway, putting on what seemed to be his catwalk debut aimed at making a grand entrance. The pilot received a notification from the control tower warning him to abort the landing, much to the chagrin of the passengers, who were already eager to disembark.
Of course, it was later found that the penguin was a notorious local who had a thing for fashion and adding a spark of excitement to people’s lives. He had been spotted in his tuxedo multiple times around the city partaking in various events and had gained a bit of a reputation. According to various sources, he had been attending designer events, charity galas, and even masquerade balls.
“We’ve seen him around before,” said one local resident, “but usually he sticks to formal events. We didn’t think he had a thing for runways too.”
The penguin was later caught and taken back to his area by a rescue team from the Wellington Zoo. Conservation Manager, Doctor Lisa Argilla had this to say about the situation, “The little wanderer likely came ashore in the Bay of Wellington just around the airport, and had been taking a walk when he found himself in the middle of the airport.”
This is not the first time an animal has caused an instance of delay at Wellington International. In 2011, a cat named Phyllis managed to sneak her way onto a runway, causing delays for planes set to take off. Phyllis passed away in 2017 and a bronze statue was erected in her honour, in the airport’s terminal.
It is yet to be seen if the Wellington airport management will take inspiration from the story of Phyllis and put up a statue of the fashionable penguin, who is now also a little bit of a hero, or if they will opt to give him a runway of his own for his next fashion show.
In conclusion, the runway delay caused by the penguin’s love for fashion is just another little hiccup in the way of air travel. While the incident was certainly amusing, it nonetheless caused a fair bit of inconvenience and it’s good to know that the Wellington Zoo is taking good care of the little guy. Finally, the incident is a reminder that we should always be ready for the unexpected, even from the most unlikely of sources.
