Did Air India wrongly refuse dog on flight: What are the rules for flying pets?

For the Shenoy family, it wasn’t doggie’s day out!

A much-anticipated 12-day holiday for a Bengaluru man and his family went awry on 17 December when an Air India pilot refused to allow their poodle on board the flight, despite them having secured all the necessary permissions and even getting a boarding pass for ‘Fluffy’.

Recounting their ordeal, Sachin Shenoy, an HR professional, said through a Twitter video that he and his family — wife Uma and daughter Aarya and their poodle, Fluffy — were heading for a 12-day vacation from Bengaluru to Delhi and onwards to Amritsar on Flight AI 503. “We were in constant touch with Air India regarding flying our pet dog, Fluffy, with them, as per the rules and procedures laid down by the airlines,” he said.

“Our pet weighs 4.2 kg and with the bag she is hardly five kg heavy. As per the rules, she can fly inside the cabin. She got all checks done and was issued a boarding pass,” he said in the video. Shenoy added that Fluffy remained patient through the waiting time and in fact, was petted by nearly 250 people at the airport.

Shenoy further says in the video, “The pilot, Captain Chopra, denied entry to us or that is what was told to us,” adding that they were informed the flight was overbooked. “We were told that you can leave your pet and go… It is as good as leaving your kid and flying.”

https://t.co/lEVEHbEybU…@PMOIndia @JM_Scindia @Manekagandhibjp @tv9kannada @republic @WIONews @timesofindia @TimesNow @MirrorNow @AnimalRightsCom @RNTata2000 pic.twitter.com/VSsUbzh16i

— Sachin Shenoy (@SachinShenoy7) December 17, 2022

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After being called out by many to be ‘anti-pet’, Air India, now owned by the Tata Group, responded on social media by saying, “Sir, we love our furry friends as much as you do. Our Bengaluru Airport team had extended all support to ensure your Fluffy could fly with us on board.”

The airline further added that “the commander of the flight was not fully satisfied with the cage and muzzle of the pet” and hence they were not allowed to board. “Our laid-down policy for the carriage of pets on domestic flights clearly mentions that “pet carriage is subject to the approval of the commander of the flight.”

However, the Commander of the flight was not fully satisfied with the cage and muzzle of the pet which is why he could not allow it to be carried in the cabin. 2/n

— Air India (@airindia) December 17, 2022

So, what exactly are the rules for flying pets in India? Which airlines allow it — domestically and internationally?

Can pets be flown?

In short, the answer to this question is a yes. In addition to pets, service animals, sporting animals, agricultural animals for breeding, food animals being transported for slaughter, zoological animals and species can also be flown.

According to most airlines, the most commonly transported animals by all airlines remain cats, dogs, birds, live lobsters and crabs, chicks, horses and some zoo animals such as wolves, leopards, cheetahs, etc.

Among dogs, brachycephalic or snub-nosed breeds such as a pug, French bulldgog, a boxer, an English bulldog, a Boston terrier, a Lhasa Apso, a Shih Tzu cannot be transported by air due to issues involved with their breathing. This is because snub-nosed breeds are far more susceptible to heat exhaustion and breathing abnormalities, which can be exacerbated by air travel.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), giraffes are the only animals that cannot be transported by air.

Which airlines allow pets?

In India as of date, Air India was the first to allow domestic pets such as dogs, cats and birds on board in the cabin or as checked-in baggage depending on the regulations of the country of destination. In October, the new Akasa Air announced that it would let passengers bring along “domesticated dogs and cats” on their flights from 1 November.

SpiceJet does not permit the carriage of any animal on any of their flights unless it is a service animal accompanying a disabled passenger.

IndiGo and Vistara allow only guide dogs, whereas AirAsia India allows other service animals on its 15 flights in India.

Internationally, airlines such as American Airlines, JetBlue, Air Canada, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, KLM among others permit animals on board.

According to a recently-published report, American Airlines was judged the best airline for pet travel in the United States.

Rules to remember

For pet-owners, there are several rules and regulations to keep in mind and follow.

Air India has a long list of dos and don’ts for pet owners. As per their website, “small inoffensive domestic pets such as dogs, cats and birds, accompanied by valid health and rabies vaccination certificates, will be accepted on Air India domestic flights in the cabin or in cargo.”

#FlyAI : Please click on the link https://t.co/QQfiKRcw2z for all your queries related to special needs like wheelchair, medical facilities required etc. pic.twitter.com/gkuBnMaqKo

— Air India (@airindia) June 29, 2021

As per their rules, the flight commander must approve the carriage of the pet and only two pets are allowed per flight. Moreover, their owner will be seated in the last row of their cabin.

Air India has stipulated that pets must be carried in soft ventilated bags/kennel not exceeding 18” x 18” x 12” dimensions. For carrying a pet in the cabin, the weight of the pet, including the container should not exceed five kilogram.

Additionally, pets of larger size/weight will be carried in the cargo hold. Dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks of age to travel. Pregnant pets will not be accepted. The pet must be muzzled and leashed, and cannot occupy a passenger seat at any time.

Air India has stated that pets will be carried at an additional charge. However, a trained guide dog when properly muzzled and leashed and with health/vaccination certificate, may be carried free of charge if the dog is trained to lead the a passenger with impaired vision/hearing and the passenger is dependent on such dog.

Akasa Air also has its own rules to fly pets on board. According to the airline, the pet can fly in the aircraft cabin if it weighs less than seven kg. A pet heavier than 32 kg needs to be sent via the cargo terminal.

Additionally, pet owners will have to carry valid health, rabies vaccination, licence and other certificates as stipulated by the regulations.

When it comes to international travel, all the above rules apply and the owner must present other documents required by countries of entry and/or transit.

Is air travel safe for pets?

Experts and veterinarians note that air travel is stressful and dangerous for animals. They have noted that conditions in the cargo hold of commercial jets are not always friendly; temperatures can fluctuate wildly, noise can be tremendous and air pressure can drop significantly, and pets that are checked into this dark space beneath the passenger cabin sometimes die.

Kirsten Theisen, director of pet care issues for the Humane Society of the United States, told the Smithsonian that air travel is simply too stressful for most animals, especially when they are placed in an aircraft’s cargo hold.

“Flying is frightening for animals,” says Theisen. “They can sense the pressure changing and they can tell that something is happening, and that’s scary. Flying is frightening if you don’t know what’s happening.”

A Forbes report in 2021 said that according to HonestPaws, 250 animal ‘passengers’ died either during or immediately after airline travel between 2010 and 2020. Another 170 sustained injuries, while 20 animals were actually lost by airlines.

Experts state that if a person is returning home soon, they should leave their pet at home and look forward to a happy reunion of wagging tails and hearty purrs.

With inputs from agencies

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