An Air India plane was delayed 12 hours and had to be fumigated after a rat managed to get on-board and was spotted by cabin crew as the aircraft prepared to take off.
The flight was due to take off from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 6am but was only cleared to head to Visakhapatnam at 5.30pm the same day
Eagle-eyed cabin crew spotted the rat and quickly informed engineers.
A spokesperson for Air India told the Deccan Chronicle that procedures dictated that the flight could not take off until the aircraft was cleaned and checked over.
They told the newspaper: “The rat was located and trapped. Then the aircraft was fumigated. The team searched for any possible damage made by the rat.
“Only after these things were done was the clearance given for the aircraft to fly again.”
