Baby rats ground Qantas plane

A Qantas plane has been grounded after five baby rats were discovered inside medical equipment on board. The rats were found on the Boeing 767 during a pre-flight safety check at Sydney Airport on Tuesday. They were inside a defibrillator. There were no passengers on board at the time.

A Qantas spokeswoman says the aircraft, including its wiring, has been thoroughly checked and the plane will return to service today. No other evidence of rats was found during the check, including the baby rats' mother.

Scott Connolly from the Transport Workers Union says the discovery is not ususual, despite the company's assertions. "Our members working out there report that they've increasingly reported concerns about hygiene, sanitation and this isn't the first occasion that they've reported rodents on aircraft and around their workspace," Mr Connolly said.

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