250 passengers stranded after rat grounds KLM Caribbean flight overnight

A KLM flight carrying more than 250 passengers was forced to cancel its final leg after a live rat was spotted inside the cabin over the Caribbean. The aircraft was flying from Amsterdam to Aruba, with a scheduled onward stop to Bonaire, when passengers saw the rat on December 10. Video from inside the cabin shows the rodent running along a curtain rail, then jumping onto overhead storage bins as passengers recoiled in disgust. KLM cancelled the Aruba to Bonaire leg, leaving passengers stranded overnight. A spokesperson said the plane was grounded so it could be thoroughly cleaned before returning to service. “This was a very exceptional incident,” the spokesperson told The Independent. “The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew are always our top priority.” The rat was discovered while the aircraft was already over the ocean, leaving the pilot with no option to turn back. KLM said the animal never went near the food, which may be the strangest detail of all.