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One JetBlue Mint traveler, going by the username brittneynicole291 on Instagram, posted a video that showed they claim to be a rat crawling through lighted panels on the overhead bins while in flight. Yesterday, JetBlue responded to the incident with an apology via the comment section on Instagram.
Responses expressed a mixture of shock at the health and cleanliness issue as well as concerns that the passenger may not have reported it to the cabin crew. Aside from the hygiene problems that follow the presence of vermin like rats, the rodents can also create maintenance issues by chewing on wires inside aircraft.
Pest Control At 35,000 Feet
If the cabin crew is alerted in flight, they can initiate the process of extermination to ensure that the health risk is eliminated and the rodents are removed before they can cause damage. Airlines focus on keeping pests from boarding the aircraft via ground equipment food carts, or jet bridges. According to Pest Control technology, one of the most common ways that these rodents access the plane is through the jetway when it is parked in between flights. Pest control is also a part of scheduled maintenance with regular intervals.
Many airports check wheel wells for rats or even snakes, depending on the location and how frequently sightings are reported. Meanwhile, areas with particularly serious concerns over non-native species like Australia require aerosol to be sprayed in the wheel wells and other locations on the plane, sometimes including the aisles.
After the rodent is caught, the real labor begins. Technicians pull out interior paneling along the entire path the rodent may have traveled. Mechanics physically trace the aircraft’s critical wiring bundles. In addition to ensuring customers are comfortable on the plane, the airline is certainly interested in preventing damage, which requires knowing exactly which aircraft and which flight the recent rodent spotting occurred on. The response from JetBlue on Instagram read as follows:
“We’re sorry to see this. Please message us your confirmation code, name on the reservation, and date of birth.”
Catch what other flight trackers miss
Emergency squawks, holds, NOTAMs — live signals, no signup.
Open tracker
Catch what other flight trackers miss
Emergency squawks, holds, NOTAMs — live signals, no signup.
Open tracker
How To Handle A Stowaway Rodent
The straightforward response to spotting a rat in flight is to notify the cabin crew as soon as possible. It’s best not to shout or make a scene to avoid a disruption to the other passengers in flight or causing anyone to panic. Using the flight attendant call button is recommended, and providing specific information about the wrong number or seat where the rat was spotted will help the crew.
FAs will notify the pilots to inform maintenance that there is a pest control issue that needs to be dealt with on landing. If there are open seats, then it’s likely that passengers can be relocated to a row away from where the rat was spotted. Typically, the crew will not try to trap or chase the vermin in flight, as it could simply create more problems than it solves.
Snakes On A Plane: When Serpents Have Caused Panic Onboard
From 20 smuggled reptiles – to growing a whole population of more than 2 million snakes!
The Battle Against Vermin On The Flightline
Airports act as the critical first line of defense to keep pests off commercial aircraft. Hair curtains on the passenger boarding walkway are one of the primary systems that keep rats and other pests, like flying mosquitoes, from entering with a physical barrier of continuous airflow. Supporting this system are the overlapping layers of rubber and canvas that seal the gap between the plane and the jet bridge when docked for boarding and deplaning. These are routinely inspected for damage to ensure that there are no tears or gaps that compromise integrity.
A plane cannot fly with a confirmed rodent loose on board. Rats can completely sever wires, leading to the loss of secondary backup systems, instrument failures, or inaccurate sensor data. Rat teeth grow constantly, forcing them to chew on hard surfaces like wire insulation to wear them down. Rodent urine is also highly corrosive to aircraft metal, and accumulated droppings trap moisture, accelerating structural corrosion over time.
Maintenance crews are typically assigned to take the plane out of service and trap the rats after using tracking powders to discover the location of the rodents inside the plane. As the vermin can access small panels with very narrow gaps and openings, an extensive inspection is often required to confirm wiring bundles have not been damaged.
