Strange and Unexpected Delays: Rodent on the Plane

Today we’re taking a walk down memory lane and reminiscing about that one time where a flight was delayed because a hamster was found scurrying around the cabin. The Royal Brunei flight was due to fly from Brunei to Brisbane back in October 2010. Before take-off, however, the passengers had to evacuate the airplane in order to capture the rodent. Of course, the small animal didn’t mean to cause problems, but due to the delay, several travelers lost their connecting flights.

While rodents can be very friendly, they also pose a risk if they’re infected and thus have  the possibility of transmitting a disease to the passengers and crew. The entire plane then had to be disinfected after the hamster was captured. Also, an even bigger threat is that rodents are small enough to reach and damage connections in sensitive places on the aircraft.

Claiming compensation for such an incident?

While the flight managed to operate without any additional problems after the eventful episode, the passengers did incur quite a lengthy delay. Not only did they need to first evacuate the plane, the rodent also needed to be captured and the confines decontaminated. As cleanliness and maintenance of the  aircraft falls under the operational responsibility of the airline, compensation is due according to EU Regulation if the flight was delayed by more than three hours.

If you have suffered a similar delay, you can always check your flight via our Claim Calculator and find out if you are entitled to compensation. Click here to enter your information, and we’ll take care of the rest.