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Passengers cause stink over smelly fruit cargo
A consignment of exotic fruit almost caused the grounding of a scheduled flight in Indonesia with passengers refusing to fly until it was removed.
A two-tonne load of the infamous durian fruit was to blame.
The so-called ‘king of fruits’ is a relatively expensive delicacy across Southeast Asia but is banned as a carry-on item on most public transport.
That is because of its highly pungent smell which has been described as having the ‘aroma of an open sewer.’
Food writer Richard Sterling once compared it to ‘turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.’
After taking their seats for a flight to Jakarta, Sriwijaya Air passengers complained on masse to cabin crew and refused to take their seats.
The stand-off became so heated it almost ended in physical blows, according to a journalist from news agency Antara who was on the flight.
The airline was forced to remove the smelly cargo and the jet took off an hour late.
"It’s not illegal to carry durian in a flight as long as it is wrapped properly in accordance with flight regulations — carried inside the hold," the airline said.
Passengers caught with durians on transport such as public buses and Singapore’s MRT underground system face big fines.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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