Air India pilot refuses to fly dog; Here are the rules for flying pets

Vacation plans of a Bengaluru-based family went awry on December 17 after an Air India pilot did not allow their pet dog to board the flight "despite having clearance" and boarding pass for their poodle 'Fluffy'. 

The family of HR professional Sachin Shenoy was to leave for New Delhi by 5.20 pm Air India flight on Saturday with their 18-month-old pet dog. 

Shenoy, in a video post on his Twitter account, said that he was in constant touch with Air India officials on the presence of the pet dog, and had also obtained a 'Fit to Fly' certificate for their pet. "The fitness was okayed by an airline staffer not a vet," he said while adding that 'Fluffy' was also given a boarding pass.

"I was told that Air India was a pet-friendly airline and that I could take it in cabin with me and I booked through them," Shenoy tweeted. 

Sharing details of the incident, the HR professional said that the pet weighed 4.2 kilograms and with the bag, the poodle was "hardly five kilograms heavy". 

He said that the airline staff told him that the commander of the flight was not okay with the pet being on board and refused permission.

"As per the rules, she can fly inside the cabin. She got all checks done and was issued a boarding pass. The pilot, Captain Chopra, denied entry to us or that is what was told to us," Shenoy said. 

To this, Air India responded through its Twitter handle and said, "The commander of the flight was not fully satisfied with the cage and the muzzle of the pet, which is why he could not allow it to be carried in the cabin. 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."

Shenoy reacted to the reply by terming it as a "blatant lie" and wrote, “The commander never saw the pet or the cage, he refused to speak or come and see the per or the cage. That's a blatant lie."

The airline further added that its 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, and offered a revalidation of the tickets for the entire journey for the next day as a goodwill gesture.

Airlines which allow pet-friendly travel in India 

Interestingly, Air India was the first airline in India 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". 

Akasa Air, in October, announced that it would start allowing “domesticated dogs and cats” weighing up to 7 kg in the cabin with fliers from 1 November.

Other airlines allow service animals. 

For instance, SpiceJet does not permit the carriage of any animal unless it is a service animal accompanying a disabled passenger. IndiGo and Vistara too allow only guide dogs. Whereas AirAsia India allows other service animals too on 15 of its flights in India.

When taking your pet out for vacations, it is important that the pet-owners keep in mind the list of rules and regulations to avoid an unpleasant start of the trip. 

According to the Air India 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.”

Indian Railways also allows pets with owners in the first class AC compartments, on the provision of a vaccination card for the pets. The Railways charges approximately Rs 60 per kg for the pets accompanying their owners. It expects dogs to be chained and collared while on board and the owners to provide their own food and water for the pets.