A bear being carried on an Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Dubai on Friday caused delays after escaping from a cage in the cargo hold. Iraqi Airways has apologized after a video circulated online of a passenger claiming their return flight to Baghdad was delayed by “over an hour due to a bear in the cargo,” CNN reported. In another video, a bear cub can be seen wandering out of his cage on the plane, while people pet him and try to comfort him.
The bear was sedated by a specialist team in Dubai and taken off the plane, Iraqi Airways said in a statement. The airline apologized on Saturday, saying the bear had been released from its cage “upon arrival at Dubai airport”. “The company apologizes to passengers flying from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport for reasons beyond the company’s control,” he said. “The delay occurred due to a shipment in the hold,” he added, explaining that the animal was released from its cage upon arrival in Dubai and specifying that the bear was transported in line with international welfare guidelines. some animals. “The plane’s crew coordinated with the UAE authorities, who sent a specialized team to sedate the animal and take it off the plane. After checking the aircraft and verifying that there was no damage caused by this accident, the flight returned to Baghdad,” the statement added. The airline did not disclose why the bear was flown to the UAE.