INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
plane to be delayed for an hour after passengers turned their noses up at the funky freight and refused to fly.Durian is highly popular in
Southeast Asia but very divisive
While some consider it the "king of fruits", likening its creamy texture and intense aroma to blue cheese, detractors consider its odour to
be closer to sewage, stale vomit or damp socks.Passengers booked on a Sriwijaya Air flight from Bengkulu province in Sumatra to Jakarta on
Monday complained to staff after smelling the fruit and refused to get on the plane -- repulsed by the pungent payload and concerned about
the extra weight on board.The airline admitted it was carrying more than two tonnes of the whiffy wares but insisted they posed no danger to
the flight, adding the smell would dissipate once the aircraft took off."Durian is not classified as a hazardous material to be transported
the stench."We made the necessary precautions, such as putting in pandan leaves and coffee powder to absorb the durian smell," Rahim
later and landed safely in Jakarta.Bengkulu airport staff said they would review procedures regarding transport of durian to avoid passenger
discomfort in the future.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a
