Shropshire Star

Captain delays flight to avoid prickly situation for baby hedgehog

The Loganair pilot spotted the hoglet and informed passengers he would be postponing take-off to allow it to safely pass.

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A hedgehog

A pilot was forced to take evasive action when a baby hedgehog got in the way of a plane as it prepared for take-off.

The Loganair flight was taxiing to the runway in Stornoway, Lewis, when the prickly creature made an appearance.

The captain brought the Saab 340 aircraft to a halt at around 5.20pm on Thursday and waited two minutes for the hoglet to cross.

The 30 passengers on board were alerted about the reason for the delay in their journey to Inverness in the Highlands.

Neil Hughes, Loganair’s  director of flight operations, said: “The captain safely avoided a prickly situation for the little hedgehog, following procedure until the animal was off the tarmac.

“Our network extends into some of Scotland’s most remote communities so there are quite a few opportunities to see animals in the wild – and we’re always conscious to disturb them as little as possible.”

Pilots operating from Stornoway regularly scan the runway for wildlife, given the rural location of the airport in the Outer Hebrides.

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