Aw, rats! What might’ve been a rodent’s dream vacation was a nightmare for hundreds of passengers.

The rat was first spotted while the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines plane was en route to Aruba. Footage obtained by the Dutch publication Telegraaf showed the rodent crawling on top of curtain rails in the plane’s cabin. PerThe Independentthe rat further caused chaos by jumping into overhead bins and passengers’ storage units.

A flight from Amsterdam to Aruba, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, typically takes about 10 hours.

A representative for KLM told the publication, “This was a very exceptional incident.”

It is unclear how the rat came aboard the flight, the airline also told the publication RTL News. “The rat was discovered over the ocean. Very unfortunate for the passengers who had to experience this,” they said.

The “passengers remained calm, and the staff kept a close eye on the animal,” the spokesperson noted, adding that the animal “didn’t come near the food.”

As a result, the return flight on Dec. 10 from Aruba to Amsterdam via Bonaire was canceled, “so that the aircraft could be thoroughly cleaned before being put back into service,” the spokesperson added.

Ultimately, the experience that impacted passengers’ travel plans was “frustrating and unpleasant,” they admitted.

Passengers were compensated with overnight accommodations while KLM looked for alternate flights for those affected.

PEOPLE reached out to KLM Airlines but did not receive an immediate response.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time an animal has stowed away on a flight and derailed travel plans. In October 2024, Spirit Airlines passengers spotted a “super rat” that hitched a ride from Dallas to Los Angeles.

The rodent was trapped inside the glass paneling of a light in the plane’s cabin. A

moving around the panel.

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Meanwhile, a cat that got loose and explored the cabin during a late November flight from Los Angeles to St. Louis brought joy to passengers during what a busy travel week.