Arkia crew members discovered a bag containing rat pups inside a beverage cart on Monday, June 22, on a return flight from Preveza, Greece, to Tel Aviv. The cart had been received in Israel before the flight to Greece and was intended to be used for passengers on the return leg. The find triggered a sharp dispute between Arkia and its catering supplier, TMM.
Arkia said the incident was found in an equipment cart that had come from TMM’s dry-goods warehouse, not in food meant for passengers. The airline said the cart was immediately taken out of service and that the matter was handled at once. Arkia stressed that at no stage did the discovery come into contact with the food served to passengers or crew, and that the meals loaded onto the flight were not damaged or affected.
The airline blamed TMM for the condition of the cart and said the caterer is responsible for preparing, storing and transporting food, as well as for the sanitary conditions, equipment and quality control at its facilities. Arkia said, “We expect full explanations,” and demanded a thorough investigation and corrective steps to prevent a repeat.
TMM rejected the accusations, saying the cart had been checked and approved before departure. The company said, “Any attempt to cast doubt on TMM’s factory, which supplies hundreds of thousands of meals a month and operates under the strictest food safety standards, is unacceptable and, if necessary, will be answered in court.” TMM said the cart, which contained only soft drinks, was inspected by an Arkia crew member and a food plant representative, and was found fully fit when loaded. It added that the problem was discovered only when the plane was on the ground in Greece, and urged Arkia to conduct an urgent, in-depth investigation.
