The curious incident occurred on board Airbus 320 Tap Air Portugal, which transported animals to pet stores on San Migel (Azores). 130 hamsters escaped from their cells during the flight, which caused chaos and forced the pilot to emerge an emergency plane in Ponto Delgada.
The cages in which the hamsters were transported were damaged, allowing the animals to escape. Along with the hamsters on board there were ferrets and birds, which, however, remained on the ground. After planting, the rodent was searched after planting, as they could damage the aircraft electrical cables. In the morning, 16 hamsters remained "on freedom", which made it impossible to return the airliner to Lisbon.
Correio Da Manha journalists report that the animals have been adopted by Tap Air Portugal flight after refusing another airline due to the mismatch of cells by the standards of transportation. According to experts, hamsters have claws capable of serious damage to aviation equipment, because they are stronger than some metals, including aluminum and copper.
In the photo that appeared on the network, the airport employees depict how they catch rodents in special gloves.
Representatives of Tap Air Portugal are still refrain from comments. However, the incident has already caused a wide publicity, becoming the subject of jokes on social networks.
This case has once again raised the issue of animal transportation standards in aviation, as neglecting the rules can have serious consequences.
