Rat pups were discovered in a service cart on an Arkia flight returning from Greece to Israel, in an unusual video that spread on social media and drew widespread reactions. The incident quickly turned into a dispute between the airline and the catering company responsible for the flight equipment.
Arkia said the cart came from the dry-goods warehouse of its catering supplier, TMM, and did not contain food intended for passengers. The airline said the cart was taken out of service immediately after the discovery and that there was no contact between the rodents and any food served on the flight. Arkia also said the food loaded onto the aircraft was not damaged or affected.
TMM rejected that account and said the cart contained only soft drinks. The company said the cart had been checked and approved as fully proper before departure from Greece. TMM added that the responsibility for checking the cart before use lay with the airline, and shifted the blame back to Arkia.
Arkia said it was treating the matter seriously and demanded a full investigation into the circumstances, as well as corrective steps to prevent a repeat. TMM said any attempt to cast doubt on its factory, which supplies hundreds of thousands of meals each month, would not stand and, if necessary, would be addressed in court. The company also said the issue was discovered later while the plane was parked in Greece, and urged Arkia to carry out an urgent, thorough inquiry.
