Hamster caper grounds TAP flight for five days in the Azores
Several hundred hamsters transported on a TAP passenger plane from Lisbon to the Azores managed to escape and spread throughout the aircraft's interior. Due to this incident, the plane was unable to return to Portugal's capital for five days, as reported by airline authorities.
The flight proceeded as planned, and the aircraft landed safely at the airport in the capital of the Azores. However, when unloading began, considerable problems were discovered.
Upon arrival at John Paul II Airport in Ponta Delgada, the airplane crew learned they could not immediately commence their return journey.
The boxes containing the hamsters were damaged in the cargo hold, and the rodents had dispersed. The search for the animals lasted five days.
The great hamster invasion on board the Portuguese plane
According to airline authorities, 132 hamsters were transported on board the Airbus A321neo. Their presence in the plane could have posed a safety threat for the return flight, especially due to the possibility of damage to electrical cables.
As a result, the plane did not take passengers on the return flight to Lisbon, as there was a risk that not all hamsters had been found.
According to data presented by TAP, in addition to the hamsters, a local pet store in Ponta Delgada ordered domestic ferrets and birds for the board.
By 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday, November 18, all the rodents were finally caught, and the plane returned to Lisbon on Sunday afternoon on a special non-passenger flight. It landed without any difficulties.
TAP is the largest passenger airline in Portugal.
