KLM plane: Flight from Amsterdam to Caribbean cancelled after 'massive' rat spotted running through cabin
A KLM flight was cancelled after a rat was seen scurrying around the cabin.
The unexpected stowaway was spotted crawling across the top of a curtain rail and jumping onto overhead bins and storage units. In a video shared online the rodent can be seen running across the rail, while passengers react with disgust. Users called the rat "massive."
The plane was scheduled to fly from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Aruba before continuing to the island of Bonaire on 10 December. More than 250 passengers who were waiting to fly to Bonaire – or to return to Amsterdam – were told that the plane had been grounded and the flight cancelled.
A KLM spokesperson told The Independent: “This was a very exceptional incident. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew are always our top priority.
“That is why we cancelled the flight from Aruba via Bonaire to Amsterdam on December 10th, so that the aircraft could be thoroughly cleaned before being put back into service.” Affected passengers were given overnight accommodation while the airline looked to provide alternative flights.
When asked how the rat managed to stow itself on board the aircraft, an airline spokesperson told Dutch media network RTL News that they did not know. “The rat was discovered over the ocean,” they said. “Very unfortunate for the passengers who had to experience this.”
Rats on aircraft can pose serious risks if they chew through wires or critical components, so passengers were evacuated as a precautionary measure.