In an unusual incident, a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger discovered a live mouse in her meal. The aircraft, which was en route from Oslo, Norway, to Málaga, Spain, diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark, on Wednesday. According to SAS spokesperson Oystein Schmidt, the decision to land was a standard safety procedure due to the potential risk posed by rodents, including the possibility of them damaging electrical wiring on the plane.

“This is something that happens extremely rarely,” Schmidt stated. “We have established procedures for such situations, which also include a review with our suppliers to ensure this does not happen again.”

Passenger Jarle Borrestad, who was seated next to the woman who found the mouse, shared his experience on Facebook, stating, “Believe it or not, a lady next to me opened her food and a mouse jumped out.” Despite the shock of the incident, Borrestad noted that passengers remained calm throughout, explaining, “People were not stressed at all.” He humorously added that he put his socks over his trousers to prevent the mouse from crawling up his legs.

After landing in Copenhagen, the plane was thoroughly inspected, and passengers were later transferred to another aircraft to continue their journey to Málaga. The diversion only added a few hours to their travel time, according to Borrestad.

Experts in aviation safety, like Surasree Basak from the Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, emphasized the importance of strict hygiene standards during food preparation and transportation. She explained, “The error might have occurred in two areas: the kitchen or during transportation. Supervisors must ensure that hygiene is rigorously maintained.”


This incident follows another recent event involving a Delta Air Lines flight that made an emergency landing due to pressurization issues, resulting in multiple passengers requiring medical assistance. These incidents highlight the need for airlines to adhere to stringent safety protocols to protect passengers from unexpected risks.Overall, while the appearance of a mouse mid-flight is certainly alarming, the swift response by SAS and the calm demeanor of passengers helped manage the situation.

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