A mouse that stowed away on a Chinese passenger jet in Singapore ended up costing the airline $100 000, a news report said on Monday.
The mouse sneaked on board the China Eastern Airlines jet while it was preparing to fly from Singapore to Shanghai, according to the Hong Kong edition of the China Daily.
It was only discovered when it began scurrying around the plane mid-flight and, fearing it might carry a virus or damage wiring, Shanghai’s airport authority grounded the plane on its arrival.
Airline staff spent two days chasing the mouse and eventually caught it with a trap, the newspaper said.
The plane was then grounded for another three days as a precaution while tests were carried out on the mouse to make sure it was free of any viruses.
The whole episode reportedly cost China Eastern $100 000 in lost revenue and staff costs. – Sapa-DPA