The rodent was spotted when the KLM flight from Amsterdam to Aruba and Bonaire was already crossing the Atlantic. Upon arrival, the aircraft was immediately grounded, leaving 250 travellers stranded.
On Wednesday, 10 December, while en route from Amsterdam to Aruba and Bonaire, passengers aboard a KLM-operated Airbus A330 were startled by an uncommon sight. While midway across the Atlantic, a rat was seen and filmed as it crossed a curtain rod inside the plane.
On the footage, people can be heard reacting to the incident. While some are screaming, others are laughing about the situation. The rodent, which doesn’t seem camera-shy, is not disturbed and goes about his business.
Na pokładzie samolotu linii lotniczych KLM pojawił się ogromny szczur, przez którego 250 pasażerów lecących z wyspy Aruba przez Bonaire do Amsterdamu, utknęło na Karaibach😱 Widzieliście kiedyś szczura albo innego intruza w samolocie?
— Ekonomat (@ekonomat_pl) December 15, 2025
🎥@Media_Aviation_ pic.twitter.com/v9fZ5MEFCz
As crew members and the pilot of the flight were made aware of the situation, the pilot decided to continue the journey towards Aruba. The plane was already halfway across the Atlantic, meaning completing the itinerary would both be the shortest and least disturbing solution. The in-flight service continued as per usual, including food being served.
“We don’t know how the animal got on board. The rat was discovered above the ocean. Very unpleasant for the passengers who had to endure it. As the plane was flying over the ocean, the pilot didn’t really have any other choice. But the passengers remained calm and the crew kept a close eye on the animal. The animal did not come near the food”, a KLM spokesperson told the Dutch news outlet RTL.
Safe but stranded
Once arrived at Aruba Queen Beatrix International Airport, the plane was immediately taken out of service in order to be thoroughly checked, cleaned, and cleared of the rat. According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, it took 36 hours to be able to catch the rodent.
As a result of the grounded plane, some 250 passengers who were planning on flying to Bonaire and Amsterdam were left stranded at the airport. KLM took care of accommodating the travellers in nearby hotels, while planes were sent to the airport to take the passengers to their destinations.
“Very unpleasant and very uncomfortable. This is also a unique situation for us. I cannot remember ever experiencing this before”, the spokesperson added.
While it is unclear how the rat came aboard the plane, according to Piet Visser from the Dutch trade union for aviation technicians, Amsterdam is currently coping with a rat infestation, which means it is possible one such rat went aboard the aircraft while looking for a new home.
Rats may not be an uncommon sight in cities, but on board airplanes, however, they remain an exception. Every rodent sighting on an aircraft requires that the flight be grounded while the animal is captured. Afterwards, the entire plane needs to undergo a technical check to make sure the hardware is not impacted, as well as a thorough cleaning – rodents pose a real sanitary problem, especially when food is involved.
