Chaos on the Tarmac: TAP Air Portugal Plane Grounded by 130 Rampaging Hamsters

A Furry Fiasco in the Azores

A TAP Air Portugal plane found itself stranded on an airport runway for four days after over 130 hamsters escaped their cages, causing a chaotic scene aboard the Airbus 320.

The incident began at Ponta Delgada Airport on São Miguel Island when baggage handlers discovered that the hamsters' carriers had been chewed through. This prompted a frantic search to capture the furry intruders before they could damage the aircraft's electrical systems or other critical components.

Maintenance teams worked tirelessly to locate the stowaways, which were part of a larger shipment of pets—including ferrets and birds—destined for a local pet shop. The hamsters were initially scheduled for an earlier flight but were denied due to the poor condition of their cages.

Despite their efforts, maintenance workers were only able to locate all but 16 hamsters. After a final push to find the remaining critters, the plane was finally cleared to return to Lisbon.

A Unique Encounter

This unusual incident is not the first time animals have disrupted flights. From rats to otters, and even swarms of mosquitoes, critters have been known to cause chaos in the skies.

More than 130 of the rodents are thought to have made a run for it, leaving maintenance crews with quite the story to tell as they dealt with this unexpected aviation challenge.