Arkia said an unusual incident was discovered on a passenger-free flight that arrived from Greece, when cabin crew found a grown rat and then several rat pups inside one of the aircraft’s service carts. According to the reports, the adult rat jumped out of the cart during the flight, prompting a further inspection that uncovered the pups in one of the cart’s compartments.
The airline said the cart carried water bottles and cups, and insisted the problem was not with food meant for passengers. Arkia attributed responsibility to Tamam, the airport catering and equipment supplier at Ben Gurion Airport, saying the cart came from Tamam’s dry-goods storage and was not a meal cart for passengers.
Arkia said the cart was taken out of service immediately after the discovery and that there had been no contact between the rodents and any food loaded onto the flight. The company also said the aircraft itself was not affected, and stressed that “no passenger came into contact with the rats or with damaged products.”
Tamam rejected Arkia’s claims, saying the cart, which contained only soft drinks, had been inspected and approved before loading. The company said the case was discovered only later, while the aircraft was parked in Greece, and called on Arkia to conduct a full investigation into what happened. Arkia said the matter remains under review and demanded a thorough explanation and corrective steps to prevent a recurrence.
