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A Sudanese airline Tarco flight departing from Khartoum International Airport to Doha, Qatar, proceeded normally on February 24th. Half an hour into the flight, an unexpected incident occurred when an "unregistered passenger"—an aggressive cat—was discovered inside the cockpit, triggering an in-flight emergency, according to local news agency Al-Sudani.
The cat clearly disliked flying as it was very aggressive and attacked the crew. After all attempts to subdue the "furry hijacker" failed, the pilot decided to turn the plane around and return to Khartoum, Sudan.
A plane belonging to Sudan Tarco Airlines was attacked by cats.
Investigating this unusual story, Al-Sudani news agency obtained information that the plane had spent a night in a hangar at Khartoum airport before the flight. Their source suggested that the cat may have sneaked onto the plane during cleaning or technical inspection and taken refuge inside the cabin, subsequently causing a disturbance for the pilots.
The incident may sound strange, but this isn't the first time cats have attempted to "take control" of an airplane.
In 2004, a Belgian plane with 62 people on board was forced to return to Brussels after a "traveling" cat named Gin went berserk in the cockpit following an unexplained escape from a travel bag. The stressed cat sneaked into the cockpit while the crew was being served a meal and then became "very aggressive and scratched the pilot," leading to the unexpected landing.
In 2004, a Belgian plane also had to make an emergency landing because of a cat hijacking.
In the same year, 2004, a cat attack occurred on Bangladesh's national aircraft carrier. A pilot required first aid after being attacked by a stray cat en route to Dhaka. However, the crew, despite the danger, decided to complete the flight. The "attacker" then miraculously managed to escape security and was only apprehended at the airport a few hours later.
In 2013, a Saudi Arabian cargo flight from Riyadh to Hong Kong was canceled at the last minute after the pilot started the engine, terrifying a stowaway – and the pilot paid the price with a few scratches. Local media reported that the cat was never found.
