Passengers scream as rat runs through KLM Amsterdam to Aruba, Caribbean flight

Jetsetters on a recent transatlantic flight were left sickened after a supersized rat was seen scampering around the cabin.

The rat boarded an Amsterdam to Aruba flight on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines last week. The journey usually takes 10 hours.

Viral footage showed the furry, four-legged stowaway scuttling atop a curtain railing.

There were 250 passengers aboard, many who were seen squirming and shrieking while the rat scurried about the Airbus A330.

The Independent reported the rat then manoeuvred through overhead lockers.

A KLM airline representative told RTL Nieuws that staff did not know how the vermin came to be on board.

“This was a very exceptional incident,” KLM said.

“The rat was discovered over the ocean, very unfortunate for the passengers who had to experience this.”

The KLM representative said the rodent did not come into contact with the meals.

The flight was already well underway when the rat was discovered, so the pilot was forced to complete the journey.

“The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew are always our top priority,” the rep told the Independent.

KLM said “passengers remained calm” as the flight attendants “kept an eye on the animal”.

The flight was due to continue on to Bonaire, however that flight and the return trip to Amsterdam were postponed so the plane could be given a deep clean.

Overnight lodging and alternative flights were offered to travellers affected by the delays.

In September, an IndiGo Airlines flight from Kanpur to Delhi descended into chaos when a rat was spotted bounding about the cabin.

The rat was detected before take-off and the cabin crew evacuated the 140 passengers so the creature could be captured. The incident caused a three-hour delay.

Last year, an Air NZ flight from Auckland to San Francisco was grounded for more than three hours after a rat was found in the cargo hold.

Beyond the hygiene risk, rats can chew through aircraft wiring, which can lead to fires.