Airplane passengers often complain about the lackluster and overly salty meals served on board, but Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) recently faced a rare incident where a mouse allegedly jumped out of a meal, leading to an emergency landing. This has heightened concerns about the quality of in-flight meals, taking the issue to a whole new level.
SAS stated on Friday (September 20) that the incident occurred on September 18 on a flight from Oslo, Norway to Malaga, Spain. The flight was diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark after the incident.
Passenger Jarle Borrestad, who witnessed the spectacle, took to Facebook to share his experience, saying, “Believe it or not. A lady next to me… opened her food, and a mouse jumped out of it.” He even shared a photo with two other smiling women sitting beside him.
Borrestad told the BBC that the woman next to him found a mouse crawling out of her meal box. Despite the unexpected guest, the atmosphere on the plane remained calm with no panic among passengers.
However, he admitted to taking precautions by tucking his pants into his socks to prevent the mouse from crawling up his legs.
The flight had to alter its route and land prematurely, adding several hours to the overall journey.
SAS spokesperson Oystein Schmidt informed AFP that the presence of a mouse posed a safety risk, prompting the decision to divert the flight to another airport, in line with the company’s protocol. The passengers were then accommodated on alternative flights to Malaga.
Airlines typically enforce strict measures to prevent mice from roaming on airplanes to avoid potential hazards such as gnawing on cables, which could compromise flight safety.
Schmidt stated, “Such instances are rare. We have laid out procedures to prevent a recurrence, including a review of our suppliers to ensure such incidents do not happen again.”
Incidents involving mice disrupting flights have also occurred on British Airways in the past. In 2017, a British Airways flight scheduled to travel from London to San Francisco was unable to take off smoothly due to the presence of a mouse onboard. The company transferred 200 passengers to another flight destined for San Francisco, resulting in a four-hour delay and an additional cost of £250,000 (approximately $330,000).
Apart from mice, there are various reasons for flight delays or cancellations. If you want to explore more unusual causes, click here.
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【Translated from original content for clarity and information purposes only. Source: Epoch Times, September 21, 2024.】