Indonesian flight delayed because of foul-smelling tropical fruit

Jakarta - An Indonesian flight was delayed when the passengers demanded to get off the plane after the strong smell of durian filled the cabin, reports said Friday.

Passengers on a Lion Air flight from the capital Jakarta to Medan demanded the crew open the doors and let them off because of the stench, the detikcom online news site reported.

"We were already sat on the plane but we wanted to get off because it smelled too bad," said Abdullah Saleh, a passenger who later switched to a different flight. Ten passengers cancelled their flights.

Durian is banned from aeroplanes and hotel rooms in Indonesia because of its distinctive smell, which is offensive to some people and has been described as reminiscent of rotting vegetables or body odour.

All the passengers got off the plane until the crew removed the offending fruit from the cabin. The flight was delayed by about one hour.

Durian is dubbed the "king of fruits" and is grown throughout South-East Asia.//DPA