Rats found on board Arkia plane arriving from Greece

According to the Kan news service, the airline emphasizes that neither passengers nor food intended for passengers came into contact with rats. The airline reported the incident to health services.

Arkia is conducting an investigation; according to preliminary data, the appearance of rats on board is associated with the activities of the TAMAM company (Taasiyat Mazon Matosim), which is responsible for catering services for flights. The airline said in a statement that the rats were found in a trolley containing equipment from TAMAM’s dry goods warehouse and not among food items intended for passengers.

Following discovery, the cart was immediately taken out of service.

Arkia also stressed that at no stage did the rats come into contact with food served to passengers or crew members, and the food loaded onto the flight was not damaged or contaminated.

The company recalled that TAMAM is responsible for the preparation, storage and transportation of in-flight meals and serves all Israeli airlines, as well as many foreign companies operating at Ben Gurion Airport.

According to Arkia representatives, responsibility for warehouses, equipment, sanitary conditions and quality control at the supplier’s facilities lies entirely with TAMAM.

Arkia views the incident as very serious and requires the supplier to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances of the incident and present measures that will prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.