Arkia said on Monday that rats were discovered in a service cart on an empty flight that had arrived from Greece. The cart contained water bottles and cups, and the airline said the incident is now under review.
According to company officials, the rats were found in equipment that came from the dry-goods warehouse of Tamam, the airline food contractor, and not in food intended for passengers. Arkia stressed that no passengers came into contact with the rats or with any contaminated items.
The company said the cart was removed from service immediately after the discovery and the matter was handled at once. Arkia added that the food loaded for the flight was not damaged and that there was no contact between the rats and the food supplied to passengers or crew.
Arkia said Tamam is responsible for preparing, storing, and transporting the food, as well as for hygiene conditions and quality control at its facilities. The airline said it views the incident seriously, is demanding a full investigation into how it happened, and expects steps to prevent similar cases in the future.
