SCARY! Bees attack a passenger aircraft at Russian airport

Cape Town - Passengers on board a Rossiya Airlines Airbus-319 preparing for take-off at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Russia had a terrifying experience on Tuesday when a 1000-strong swarm of bees started attacking the plane. 

Daily Mail reports that eyewitnesses described how the insects flew out from underneath the aircraft, some attaching themselves to the wing, others converging on windows. 

The plane had already started taxiing on the runway in preparation for take-off when the extraordinary incident took place. The take-off was aborted and two ambulances were rushed onto the tarmac amid fears that the bees would make their way into the cabin.

Images of the uncanny attack have been doing the rounds on social media:

Instagram : by aviationnews_id - Ribuan ekor lebah tersedot oleh engine pesawat A319 milik Rossiya Airlines di Band… pic.twitter.com/zdrkT0wUh9

— ? Dorian BENTEJAC ? (@DeltaBravo33) July 8, 2015

#BREAKING Thousands of bees attack Moscow Airport Vnukovo pic.twitter.com/wlRn2fBk8c @HBeaucejour @AdyTimmer @jeanjuniorj #haiti #Haitian @FT

— Salvatore (@albertbazile) July 7, 2015

According to reports from Russian news outlets, airport staff quickly and efficiently managed to remove the offending critters, however they do not explain exactly how this was done. 

In cases such as these bees are normally either smoked out or vacuumed up. 

Earlier this year, a massive swarm of bees also caused havoc for an Allegiant flight en route from Las Vegas to Minnesota. The plane was forced to swing back after the insects blocked the windshield and were sucked into the plane's turbine engines.