Rat Leaps from Meal Box, Forcing Emergency Landing in Copenhagen

A rat that jumped out of a passenger’s food container caused an emergency landing for a SAS Scandinavian Airlines flight, according to a report from Agence France-Presse (AFP), citing a spokesperson for the airline.

The rat was spotted onboard a flight between Oslo and the Spanish city of Málaga, prompting the pilot to make the decision to land in Copenhagen. Passengers were informed of “safety risks,” which necessitated a return to the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

In line with its procedures, Scandinavian Airlines swapped planes to allow for an inspection of the affected aircraft, according to Øystein Schmidt, the company’s spokesperson in Norway. He confirmed that such incidents “rarely occur” and that the airline has measures in place to review its suppliers to prevent any similar incidents from happening in the future.

Some passengers took the incident in a humorous light. Passenger Jarl Borstad posted a photo on his Facebook page, smiling alongside two women, with the caption: “Believe it or not, the lady next to me opened her food container, and a rat jumped out.”