A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320 was grounded for four days at Ponta Delgada airport in the Azores after over 130 hamsters escaped their cages in the cargo hold. The incident, which began when the plane landed from Lisbon, left maintenance teams scrambling to recapture the rodents before they could cause damage to the aircraft’s wiring.
The chaos began when the Airbus A320, valued at approximately €100,000, landed in the Azores. Baggage handlers discovered that the cages containing the hamsters had been damaged, allowing the small rodents to roam freely in the cargo hold. The hamsters were part of a shipment intended for a local pet shop, which also included ferrets and birds.
After landing, the maintenance crew was alerted to the situation and immediately began a search for the escaped hamsters. The urgency of the situation was heightened by the fact that hamsters are known for their tendency to chew on anything they can find, including electrical wiring, which posed a potential risk to the aircraft.
This unusual incident highlights the importance of proper animal transport protocols in aviation. The hamsters had been accepted on the flight after being turned away from a previous one due to inadequate cage conditions. This raises questions about the standards for transporting live animals and the need for stricter regulations to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
