Three-day search for mouse on SriLankan flight concludes

Flight to resume operations

• One passenger had reported a rat on board when the flight arrived from Lahore, Pakistan 

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

The contentious incident, involving a three-day search operation to locate a mouse within a SriLankan Airlines aircraft, has concluded. The flight is scheduled to be released this evening, and preparations are underway to ready the aircraft for passenger service, SriLankan Airlines senior official said.   

He said the rat had been found, and the technical teams are required to inspect every piece of equipment, including the wiring, to ensure thorough verification before the aircraft is released for service again.  

One passenger had reported a rat on board when the flight arrived from Lahore, Pakistan. It remains unclear whether the rat entered the aircraft in Pakistan or locally. Following the complaint, we immediately grounded the aircraft and implemented necessary safety precautions,” the official said.  

We had to spray a chemical on an aircraft in which rats were found and ground it for one day as per international standards, he said.  

“As SriLankan Airlines, the safety of our passengers is our top priority. We must conduct a thorough 100 percent check of the flight, even after completing test runs, to ensure the highest standards of safety and security,” the official said.  

“There have been numerous incidents involving the discovery of insects and rats in the past. Each time such an incident is detected, we take maximum precautions to promptly remove it, ensuring the protection and safety of our passengers,” he said.