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TOKYO — Two pets died after being left behind in the Japan Airlines Co. plane cargo hold in the Jan. 2 aircraft collision and subsequent fire at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. This has sparked animal lovers to call for Japanese airlines to allow pets in aircraft cabins. The Mainichi Shimbun looked into foreign carriers’ rules on carrying pets aboard planes and spoke with Star Flyer Inc., the first Japanese commercial airline to introduce pets in-cabin services.
In an interview with the Mainichi, a Korean Air public relations representative said allowing passengers to bring their pets in the cabin was standard, adding that the airline started the service “a long time ago.”
Korean Air’s pet in-cabin policy covers dogs, cats and birds that are at least eight weeks old. The permitted weight is 7 kilograms or lighter including the weight of the carrier. A passenger needs to make a reservation for their pets at least 48 hours prior to an international flight and 24 hours prior to a domestic one.
German airline Lufthansa allows cats and small dogs — 7 kg or lighter including the carrier — in aircraft cabins. Up to two pets can accompany one passenger.
In Japan, Kitakyushu-based Star Flyer started allowing pets on board all domestic flights on Jan. 15. According to an airline public relations official, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the new service. “As demand for flights fell and we were trying to come up with ways to improve our services, we decided to cater to customers’ needs who wish to fly with their pets,” they explained.
Star Flyer introduced pet in-cabin services in March 2022 on some flights between Kitakyushu and Haneda in the first such attempt in the country. The carrier has since served passengers with pets in some 350 cases, and since it didn’t receive any complaints from other customers, it decided to introduced the service on all flights on all of the carriers’ five domestic routes. Star Flyer allows small dogs and cats that can fit in a 50-centimeter-by-40 cm-by 40 cm carrier and charges 50,000 yen (about $340) per pet. Passengers will need to make a reservation for the pet four days prior to the flight.
Consideration for other passengers necessary
While Japan is starting to see pets in the cabin, caring for other passengers is crucial. For those with animal allergies, Korean Air prepares seats far away from passengers with pets “as much as possible” and strongly recommends on its website that the customers let airline staff know about any allergies.
Star Flyer makes sure that the seats occupied by a passenger and their pets is cleaned thoroughly to get rid of any odor, while asking customers bringing their pets on board to prepare for their flight based on specific rules, including; no food during the flight, though water is allowed; have the pet wear a diaper; no letting the pet out of their carrier; and carry vaccination certificates.
Furthermore, the airline clearly states that the passengers will not be able to evacuate the aircraft with their pets in an emergency, and asks them to sign a waiver. A PR official said, “We can’t allow customers to evacuate with their pets as the transport ministry’s guidelines state that passengers are to evacuate without carrying their belongings.”
Regarding the recent accident, a Star Flyer representative commented, “We see it as an event to think about how pets are carried aboard planes. We believe that there are people opposed to bringing animals into the cabin, so we want to continue considering services that can be understood by both sides (of the issue).”
(Japanese original by Yukako Ono and Hiroya Miyagi, Digital News Group)
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