Last Saturday, passengers hoping to catch a regular flight from Stockholm to sunny Malaga found themselves at the center of an unusual aviation drama. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight SK1583 (Airbus A320neo registered as SE-DOZ) took off from Stockholm Arlanda Airport on February 7, 2026, carrying travelers looking forward to a weekend getaway. But as the plane was cruising over Belgium, a tiny four-legged stowaway changed their journey, and possibly their dinner plans.
According to a report from simple flight and Paddle your own canoetrouble started about halfway through the scheduled four-hour trip. Passengers and crew alike discovered rats flying around in the cabin, causing immediate concern. While rats may seem like a minor nuisance on the ground, it’s a whole different story when it comes to rodents on airplanes. They have a tendency to chew through insulation and, more worryingly, can wreak havoc if left unchecked. The risk of electrical failure or even fire cannot be ignored by airlines, especially in remote areas that are inaccessible to aircraft.
Faced with this threat, the flight deck made the quick decision to cancel the trip to Spain and return to Stockholm. Flight tracking data, including Flightradar24 recordings, showed the A320neo making a wide U-turn over Western Europe and retracing its course north. In total, passengers spent about three and a half hours in the air. So it was a long loop trip, landing at the starting point. As you might imagine, the atmosphere on board changed from anticipation to exasperation, with a healthy dose of distrust thrown in.
However, safety remained the top priority. The potential for rats to cause havoc on board an aircraft is not hypothetical. as Paddle your own canoe They point out that rodents are particularly troublesome because they can chew through cables that are essential to flight, causing electrical problems and fires. “A single rat can wreak havoc, resulting in significant disruption and cost to airlines, but when it comes to flight safety, the risk is significant enough to justify diversion,” the newspaper explained. In the end, all passengers and crew arrived safely in Sweden, although they did not reach their intended destination.
After landing, the aircraft was out of service for the remainder of the day. Technicians at Arlanda Airport worked diligently to remove unwelcome passengers from the plane and inspect it for damage. Interestingly, according to data from Flightradar24; simple flightThe A320neo was inspected and returned to commercial service the next day, suggesting there was no damage to critical systems. As for the fate of the rats, what happens to them after landing remains a mystery. There is no official word on whether the rat was captured or simply disappeared inside the airport.
For the inconvenienced travellers, SAS arranged for a replacement plane which, after extensive delays, eventually flew to Malaga. But the story didn’t end at the airport gate. Passengers now have unique stories to tell that they never expected when they packed up for the Costa del Sol.
Strangely enough, this was not the first time SAS faced rodent-related disruptions on flights to Malaga. Less than a year and a half earlier, in September 2024, another SAS A320neo flight from Oslo to Malaga was forced to divert mid-flight after rats were found hiding in passengers’ in-flight food, according to both reports. simple flight and Paddle your own canoe. The plane made an emergency landing in Copenhagen, passengers were transferred to another plane and the caterer faced an overhaul of its processes. At the time, an airline spokesperson said the aircraft would undergo a detailed inspection for possible damage and that its catering procedures would be scrutinized to prevent it happening again.
The problem of rodents causing mayhem in the skies is not limited to the SAS or even rats. In November 2024, a TAP Portugal Airbus A321neo was grounded at Ponta Delgada Airport in the Azores after a swarm of genuine hamsters (reportedly as many as 130) escaped from their cages during a flight from Lisbon. Upon arrival, baggage handlers discovered the escaped rodent and the plane was grounded until all hamsters were identified. This story was covered by Paddle your own canoehighlights how devastating even small animals can be in the highly controlled environment of commercial aviation.
The potential for rodent-related disruptions is not limited to the air. The airport itself can become infested with parasites, and the effects can ripple throughout airport operations. simple flight recalls an incident that occurred in 2023 at Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom, where staff reported seeing rodents in various parts of the terminal. Some passengers interacted with other passengers, prompting pest control teams to carry out extensive cleaning and inspections. The risks go beyond chewing on the wires: rodents can spread bacteria and infections, which can pose a public health risk in busy transportation hubs.
Despite these occasional headline-grabbing incidents, rodent problems are not widespread in the airline industry. Airlines and airports invest heavily in pest control and regular maintenance to keep critters out. Still, as the drama on Saturday’s flight SK1583 shows, all it takes is one mouse to bring a multimillion-dollar jet and its passengers to an unexpected halt.
As for the passengers on Flight SK1583, their sunny Spain vacation was delayed, but they got a story that might surpass most travel failure stories. And for SAS, the incident is a reminder of the unpredictable challenges involved in keeping the skies safe. Sometimes it’s not the weather, the engine, or the schedule, but the smallest stowaway that makes the biggest difference.