Hyderabad: Rat delays Air India flight by 12 hours

Hyderabad: A rat held up a Visakhapatnam-bound Air India flight for nearly 12 hours at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday morning. The flight was scheduled to depart at 6 am, but it was cleared only at 5.30 pm.

The rat was noticed by a member of the cabin crew, who informed the engineering department immediately. A representative of Air India said that since the rodent had been spotted, the flight could not take off until certain procedures were performed.

“The rat was located and trapped. Then the aircraft was fumigated. The team searched for any possible damage made by the rat. Only after these things were done was the clearance given for the aircraft to fly again,” the representative said.