Baby rats were discovered in a service cart on an Arkia flight from Greece to Israel, according to footage circulated on social media.
The incident sparked widespread reactions online and led to an exchange of accusations between the airline and the catering company that serviced the flight.
According to Arkia, the cart in which the baby rats were discovered came from the dry-goods storage facilities of the catering company TMM and did not contain food intended for passenger service.
The company emphasized that, upon discovery, the cart was immediately taken out of service and that there was no contact between it and any food served during the flight.
TMM should conduct a ‘comprehensive and thorough investigation,’ says Arkia
"Arkia views the incident seriously, demands that TMM conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the case, and expects to receive full explanations along with corrective steps to ensure that an incident of this kind does not recur in the future,” the airline said.
TMM rejected Arkia’s claims and clarified that the cart, which was inspected and approved before the flight’s departure, only contained soft drinks.
TMM added that it is the airline’s responsibility to check the cart before it is utilized.
TMM threatens court
The catering company stated that “any attempt to cast doubt on the TMM facility, which supplies hundreds of thousands of meals per month and operates under the strictest food safety standards, is unacceptable and will, if necessary, be addressed in court.”
"The trolley in question, which contained soft drinks only, was inspected as on every flight by an Arkia crew member and a representative of the catering facility, who confirmed that the trolley was fully compliant when it was loaded. The incident was discovered later, while the aircraft was parked in Greece,” it added.
TMM urged Akia to “conduct an urgent and in-depth investigation to determine how such a serious incident occurred on its aircraft.”
The incident is currently under review.