British Airways suspends service carrying dogs in hold after one was transported in ‘incorrect’ crate

Investigation is underway

BA has temporarily stopped carrying animals in the hold (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

British Airways has temporarily suspended its service carrying dogs in the hold on flights after one pet was found to have been carried in the incorrect-sized crate.

The airline is currently investigating the incident, during which time it will not allow passengers to book dogs to travel.

BA has made it clear that no harm came to the dog in question.

Owners are required to supply crates for their own dogs’ travel, with strict stipulations about the size of crate needed in relation to the size of the dog.

The travel standards for all pets are set by Iata’s Live Animal Regulations, according to BA, which includes crate sizes based on the size of an animal.

“We take the responsibility of transporting and caring for animals travelling with us extremely seriously,” British Airways said in a statement.

“We have temporarily suspended bookings pending our investigation.”

However, the airline will honour bookings already made.

Dogs and other pets are booked to travel via IAG Cargo (IAG is the airline’s parent company).

Unlike American airlines, British Airways does not allow dogs or other pets to travel in the cabin as “emotional support animals” for passengers.

However, registered assistance animals, such as guide dogs, are allowed to accompany disabled flyers.

There have been a number of high-profile instances of pets dying on flights over the last year.

In September 2019, a dog died on a KLM flight when it allegedly overheated in the cargo hold.

Roger, a six-year-old black French bulldog, died of reported heat exhaustion and dehydration during the eight-hour flight from Amsterdam to Boston.

And in March, the owners of a five-month-old dog demanded a criminal investigation after their pet died during a flight from Amsterdam to Los Angeles.

The purebred Central Asian Shepherd puppy, named Bear, was discovered dead in the cargo hold of a KLM plane when it touched down at LAX airport.

The Avetisian family, from the California city of Pasadena, had been given the dog by friends in Greece. They were ready to collect it when the plane arrived in the US via the Netherlands.

The family’s lawyer, Evan Oshan, told KABC they were considering legal action. “We want a criminal investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Bear,” said Mr Oshan.