Passengers On Flight To Nashville Share Plane With Bald Eagle

As the world continues to open up and more people begin traveling again, you're likely to find yourself seated alongside strange and interesting characters on long flights. Passengers on route to Nashville, however, were surprised to find a national symbol sitting next to them on their flight.

A bald eagle and its two handlers from the American Eagle Foundation were flying back from Houston to Nashville on Tuesday (August 17) on their way to Pigeon Forge, WKRN reports. The eagle was placed in a cage in row 2 of the Southwest Airlines plane but had an otherwise similar flight to its fellow passengers. Check here to see photos.

Southwest said it frequently works with reputable animal organizations like the American Eagle Foundation to help safely transport animals in-cabin across the country.

Apparently the eagle, whose name is Challenger, flies commercial all the time.

"Challenger is a frequent flier on Southwest and was recently on a flight attending an event in Houston," Southwest said in a statement to WKRN. "You can learn more on Challenger and the American Eagle Foundation's conservation efforts by visiting the American Eagle Foundation's website and by checking out this fun video on Southwest's Facebook page," adding that the video was shot before the pandemic.