They wanted to fly buzziness class: Delta Air Lines flight delayed by swarm of bees

Listen, bees have places to go, too.

A Delta Air Lines flight from Houston to Atlanta was delayed for about three hours Wednesday when a swarm of bees briefly colonized one of the plane’s winglets.

“Bee-lieve it or not, Delta flight 1682 on May 3 from Houston-Bush to Atlanta took a delay after a friendly group of bees evidently wanted to talk shop with the winglet of one of our airplanes, no doubt to share the latest about flying conditions at the airport,” Delta spokesperson Morgan Durrant said in a statement to USA TODAY. 

According to the airline, the bees were eventually dislodged when the aircraft was pushed back from the gate, which allowed passengers to board the Airbus A320 and resume their trip to Atlanta.

A viral twitter thread captured the drama as it unfolded.

A viral twitter thread captured the drama as it unfolded.

Delta said the flight was delayed to ensure the bees’ welfare as well as to make sure that no safety-critical surfaces of the plane were contaminated. 

It’s unclear if honey (or crushed bees) could jam the flaps or slats of an airplane. The airline said they were informed by experts that bee swarms like this are unusual but not unheard-of, and extended an apology to the 92 passengers aboard for the delay.

Cruising Altitude:Behind the frosted glass doors of airline lounges, is it really worth it?

Tell us your story:Mobility device lost or damaged by an airline? USA TODAY wants to hear about it.

What you’re entitled to if your flight is delayed

Aside from flabbergasted amusement if your trip is held up by a swarm of bees, you may be entitled to some form of compensation depending on the length and cause of your delay.

The Department of Transportation has a dashboard outlining major U.S. airlines’ policies about “controllable delay” compensation.