Rats Run Amok Mid-air: Passengers Fear For Life!

While the world is battling with bigger problems such as planes being shot down by terrorists, or planes disappearing into thin air without a trace – Air India, too ,had a challenge at hand. And this was a challenge that could have easily been avoided. But, knowing the state of affairs at Air India, there could be less or least expectation from the freight carrier to be doing so.

Rats were seen scurrying onboard AI 021, which was referred to as Airbus A 321, to such an extent that the passengers raised an alarm. And the authorities on ground, who thought it would have been a case of one or two rats creating a fuss, were surprised to see scores of them having built their homes in the flight.

That rats find a way into a flight through catering vans and vehicles is a known thing. But, to come to terms with the fact that there have been scores of them making merry on a flight is quite another. This speaks of the callousness on part of the authorities.


When a rat is found on the flight, it has to be immediately taken for fumigation since rats gnaw and chew the cables running across various parts of the flight. Simulators that are highly sensitive to touch can be easily accessed by these scurrying creatures as they have the capability to slither around anywhere and hide without food for long.

What happened in the recent episode of rats being found onboard was a subdued version of ‘what could have happened if the rats had found their way into the pilot’s cabin?’

However, after finding the rats onboard, the authorities immediately suspended the further flying of the flight that had just arrived in Delhi from Kolkata, and accommodated the passengers of that flight on to another plane that was taken off normal routine since long.

It was risky, but it had to be done. In a lesson that could serve the airline operators for long, rat families on a flight resulted in a fair amount of loss being borne by the company. However, Air India being what it is, the fact remains to be seen whether this would serve as a lesson for the state-run airlines operator in the future. Else, it can be a rat’s day out and none would even know!
(Image: Air India)