Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) reported that one of its flights made an emergency landing on Wednesday after a mouse was discovered in a passenger's in-flight meal.
The flight, en route from Oslo, Norway, to Malaga, Spain, was diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark, in accordance with the airline's safety protocols, as the rodent presented a risk, according to SAS spokesperson Oystein Schmidt in a statement to AFP.
Passengers were later transported to Malaga on a different aircraft.
Airlines typically enforce strict regulations regarding rodents on board to prevent potential damage, such as chewing through electrical wiring.
"This is something that happens extremely rarely," said SAS spokesperson Oystein Schmidt. "We have established procedures for such situations, which also include a review with our suppliers to ensure this does not happen again."
“Believe it or not. A lady next to me … opened her food and a mouse jumped out,” wrote passenger Jarle Borrestad on Facebook, sharing a photo of himself smiling alongside two women who were also smiling.
This marks the second rodent-related travel disruption within a week, following a train service in southern England that was terminated when two squirrels boarded a carriage, and one refused to leave.
Rodent-related incidents are not unheard of. In 2017, a British Airways flight from Heathrow to San Francisco was delayed for four hours after a mouse was spotted onboard, costing the airline an estimated £250,000, as per Guardian.
