Air India with stowaway - A rat - Curt Lewis

Rat on a plane! Air India flight to London returns after rodent sighting

Airline sources said the Dreamliner aircraft which left Mumbai at 7am was in the Tehran airspace when the crew had a 'fleeting glance' of a rodent in the pantry. (HT File Photo)

Nearly halfway into its journey to London on Wednesday morning, an Air India flight carrying around 240 passengers from Mumbai had to return after a cabin crew member spotted a rat on board.
Airline sources said the Dreamliner aircraft which left Mumbai at 7am was in the Tehran airspace when the crew had a 'fleeting glance' of a rodent in the pantry.

According to safety rules laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilot got in touch with the Mumbai air traffic control (ATC) tower and decided to turn back. The flight arrived in the city around 12.50 pm, ATC officials said.

After passengers got off the flight, the aircraft was taken to a remote parking bay for an inspection and a fumigation exercise was prescribed by the safety regulator, airport officials said.

An AI spokesperson confirmed the flight returned to the city as a "preventive measure" but the presence of a rodent on board was being investigated. The passengers were given another aircraft for the journey to London.