GREECE — Baby rats were discovered in a service cart on an Arkia flight from Greece to Israel. Arkia stated that the cart was immediately taken out of service upon discovery.

Arkia stated that the cart did not contain food intended for passenger service and that there was no contact between the cart and any food served during the flight. The airline attributed the origin of the cart to the dry-goods storage facilities of the catering company TMM.

In response, TMM rejected Arkia's claims regarding the origin of the incident. TMM stated the cart was inspected and approved before the flight's departure and that it contained only soft drinks. "The trolley in question, which contained soft drinks only, was inspected as on every flight by an Arkia crew member and a representative of the catering facility, who confirmed that the trolley was fully compliant when it was loaded," TMM stated.

TMM also stated that it is the airline's responsibility to check the cart before its utilization. The catering company reported that the incident was discovered while the aircraft was parked in Greece. "Any attempt to cast doubt on the TMM facility, which supplies hundreds of thousands of meals per month and operates under the strictest food safety standards, is unacceptable and will, if necessary, be addressed in court," TMM stated.

"Arkia views the incident seriously, demands that TMM conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the case, and expects to receive full explanations along with corrective steps to ensure that an incident of this kind does not recur in the future," the airline said. TMM urged Arkia to conduct an urgent and in-depth investigation to determine how the incident occurred on its aircraft. Footage of the rats discovered on the service cart circulated on social media. The incident is currently under review.