Many people worldwide suffer from arachnophobia, which is simply a fear of spiders and other arachnids. Everyone has their reasons for disliking eight-legged creatures. Still, I doubt many worry about getting bitten during a flight thousands of feet above the ground.
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According to a report by People, an Iberia Airbus A320 was flying from Düsseldorf in Germany en route to Madrid in Spain on Friday, February 21. However, at some point, an eight-legged guest managed to get on board and give the pilot a nasty nip. To make matters worse, the pilot was reportedly allergic to spiders.
Fortunately, the pilot was well enough to continue flying and landed the plane at Barajas Airport in Madrid as planned. Per Spanish news outlet La Voz De Galicia, medical staff treated the pilot with Methylprednisolone, which is an anti-inflammatory. It can also treat allergic reactions, swelling, and itching. The outlet also explains that the pilot experienced no further adverse reactions to the bite.
The Flight Was Delayed For Three Hours Before Leaving Barajas Airport
La Voz De Galicia explains that specialized airport staff fumigated the Airbus A320 in an attempt to kill the spider and any other potential stowaways. The process delayed the plane's subsequent flight to Vigo in Spain by three hours, but operations continued as usual afterward. The outlet also mentions that while the crew believed the spider was a tarantula, it was never explicitly identified as such.
It's unclear when the spider managed to get on board. However, staff believe it may have sneaked onto the plane during a stop in Casablanca, Morroco. Stowaways have reportedly happened before with flights coming from Africa, often resulting in luggage being incinerated.
Per People, there is a tarantula species native to Morroco, Spain, Sicily, Algeria, and Tunisia. The New York Post reports that the reason for the delay was eventually revealed to passengers waiting for their flight to Vigo. Fliers were 'visibly uncomfortable' as they entered the airline and were checking around their seats and luggage for more unwanted visitors.
Despite uneasiness among passengers, the flight reportedly reached Vigo as usual without any more unwanted surprises.
