United Airlines Flight 1275 from Cancún International Airport (CUN) to Los Angeles (LAX) had a minor delay after a swarm of bees decided to land on the plane’s wing while it was still parked. The crew avoided the multi-hour delays typically caused by waiting for external pest control or beekeeping specialists by taxiing to the runway and letting the takeoff wind clear the bees.
The Incident
On June 11, 2026, thousands of bees clustered near the edge of the wing while the plane was parked at the terminal gate in Cancún. Ground crews assessed the situation, with some personnel wearing beekeeper hats to safely inspect the wing.
An airline spokesperson stated:
“Some bees created a ‘buzz’ yesterday around United flight 1275, which took a short delay while we addressed the issue.
“The flight safely departed afterwards, and our unexpected guests fortunately chose not to join us for the remainder of the flight.”
Instead of waiting hours for specialist pest removal or spraying the plane, the captain decided to taxi out to the runway. As the Boeing 737 accelerated down the runway to its takeoff speed of around 150 mph, the immense airflow naturally swept the bees safely off the wing.
This temporary clustering is standard swarming behaviour, where honeybees gather closely to protect their queen while scouts search for a new nesting site. Warm, metallic aircraft structures in tropical environments often act as temporary resting spots for travelling swarms.
Aftermath of the ‘Buzz’
Has your flight ever been delayed due to an unusual incident like this? Let us know in the comments below!
