TOKYO – Ten of Japan's 13 major airlines have no plans to allow passengers to bring pets on board, a Mainichi Shimbun investigation has found.
After two pets were left stranded in the cargo hold of a JAL plane following a collision between Japan Airlines (JAL) and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on January 2, a request is made to bring pets on board. The voices are getting louder. It caught fire. How are airlines responding to these calls?
In late January, Mainichi Shimbun asked 13 airlines about their policies regarding pets on board their flights and what considerations they take when allowing animals, offering the following options: (I) does not permit or consider policy changes; (II) is considering permitting; and (III) permits.
Only StarFlyer, which will gradually start allowing pets on board from 2022, chose (III), and 10 airlines chose (I). JAL and group company Japan Transocean Air have not chosen either option, with the former saying, “In response to this accident, we have begun discussions among internal parties regarding the handling of pets, including bringing pets into the company.'' I answered. We believe that it is necessary to take into account customers' requests to bring their pets on board, and to decide on a response after fully considering the safety aspect of aircraft operations and the impact on other passengers. ”
A JAL spokesperson said, “Rather than assuming the introduction, we will consider the future direction from a neutral standpoint.We will consider whether pets brought on board will pose a safety problem during a smooth evacuation. There is a need,” he said. When human life is the top priority. ”
The survey also asked why they wouldn't allow pets, and many companies cited passenger health.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and two group companies responded, “Out of consideration for passengers with allergies, we only offer pet storage in the cargo hold.'' Skymark Airlines also said, “For the comfort of all our passengers, including those with allergies, we are currently storing pets in the cargo hold.'' The company added, “Pets are treated with care as companion animals, not as cargo.''
A former employee of a major airline said, “If a passenger reported in advance that they had a food allergy to peanuts or other food, we would thoroughly clean the area around the seat before boarding.Pets should be treated the same way, so it would take a lot of time.'' ” he explains. It took a lot of effort. Guide dogs are allowed, but we paid close attention to the seats around the guide dog. ”
“Some people think of pets as family members, while others think of them as just animals, so this can be difficult. However, it may be a good idea to allow pets only on early morning flights when there are fewer people.” . Passengers! ”
The 13 companies that responded to the survey were JAL, ANA, Japan Transocean Air Co., Ltd., Skymark Co., Ltd., Airdo Co., Ltd., Air Japan Co., Ltd., ANA Wings Co., Ltd., Solaseed Air Co., Ltd., StarFlyer, and Peach Aviation Co., Ltd. It's a company. , Jetstar Japan Co., Ltd., Spring Airlines Japan Co., Ltd., Zip Air Tokyo Co., Ltd.
[Kohei Chiwaki]