American flight from Texas to Germany delayed by bees

GRAPEVINE, Texas — Some unusual travelers caused a delay for one American Airlines flight.

The travelers were hundreds of bees, found by a cargo crew under the right wing of a Boeing 767 that landed at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Wednesday. The plane had arrived from Las Vegas and was headed to Frankfurt, Germany.

American spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said Thursday that a beekeeper and the airline’s team did a “sweet job” taking care of the situation. No one was stung.

Huguely says the beekeeper safely removed the queen and the swarm. Cargo from Las Vegas was removed and workers started loading bags for the Frankfurt flight.

But the queen’s scent apparently lingered. Bees quickly headed for the same spot.

The beekeeper returned and removed those bees, allowing the flight to eventually take off.