Airport firemen battled a huge swarm of bees attacking a plane and injuring six people when it landed in Thailand.

The Thai Smile flight FD3260 had just parked when the cloud of angry insects descended on the right engine at the Khon Kaen Airport on May 10.

The passengers were safely unloaded, but their luggage could not be retrieved due to the territorial colony divebombing anyone who approached. Six staff were injured by bee stings.

Furious airport director Sommai Chaiyanit ordered workers to get rid of the bees, with employees blasting the bugs with water and blowing air into the plane's exhaust pipe to drive them away.

The operation was successful but the bees then attacked a second plane later the same day, causing flight WE045 heading to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) to be delayed by 40 minutes.

Sommai said the bees were disorientated by a storm and the change from hot weather to the cooler rainy season.

He said: 'The persistent swarm bees collected on the jet bridge and again on the aircraft's right engine. Staff employed the same tactics to vanquish the bees. They did not disrupt any more flights in the late afternoon.

'Inspections of the tarmac and jet bridges were conducted to find the remaining inects, which were killed with insecticide.

'It was the first time such an incident happened at the airport. The bees may have become disoriented or migrated due to the recent storm.'