British Airways has, for the time being, suspended its service transporting canines in the cargo hold of planes following the discovery of a dog in an inadequately sized crate at London’s Heathrow Airport on Monday.
Although the animal was unharmed, shareholders and officials at the international carrier decided to suspend the service pending the results of an investigation.
The airline said in a statement they “take the responsibility of transporting and caring for animals travelling with us extremely seriously”.
Strict travel guidelines for pets are set by the International Air Transport Association’s (Iata) Live Animal Regulations.
However, British Airways said the onus was on pet owners to supply a correctly sized crate for air freight purposes.
Although no new bookings will be accepted, the airline said prior bookings would go ahead as planned. – Bjorn Vorster
