A Spirit flight out of Orlando had a temporary unexpected delay on Monday when it had to stop so an alligator could cross the taxiway.
A customer on the flight told the Orlando Sentinal that the pilot came on the loudspeaker to inform passengers that they would have to wait because there was an alligator in the middle of the taxiway. The gator in question was reportedly making his way to a nearby pond, forcing the plane to wait for roughly five minutes while he made the journey.
When he did get to that pond, an airport truck went to the area to ensure that he didn’t return to the runway after its quick dip.
The customer, Anthony Velardi, posted a short video of the experience on Facebook that was later tweeted by the Orlando airport:
That’s so Florida! Pilots of a Spirit flight departing MCO today had to pause on the taxiway and give right of way to a local resident out for a morning stroll. Passengers caught a rare glimpse of an alligator trudging from one pond to the next. 🐊 pic.twitter.com/xK12ydomLX
— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) June 11, 2018
And good news for passengers: Despite the delay in taking off, the flight actually arrived at its destination 17 minutes early.