Cynthia Busuttil and Rosanne Zammit
Guide dog to fly with passengers in a first for Air Malta
Cátia Lima with her five-year-old guide dog Lee, which will be the first animal to travel on an Air Malta plane without having to spend the flight in the hold.
A labrador will this evening be the first animal to travel on an Air Malta flight without having to spend the trip in the hold.
The airline is adopting a new policy to allow guide dogs on its flights.
The issue was brought to light by Cátia Lima, a blind 30-year-old Portuguese who, initially, was not allowed to have her guide dog Lee with her during the flight today.
But yesterday Air Malta decided to allow the five-year-old labrador to travel on the plane. The dog will be curled under his owner's feet during the two-hour flight from Milan Malpensa.
Speaking to The Times just before the decision to allow Lee on the plane was taken, Ms Lima said she would not travel if her dog were to be put in the hold.
"Lee has been my guide dog for two-and-a-half years and in this time we have never been separated. I cannot imagine the anxiety Lee would go through if he is put in a dark hold without knowing if I would pick him up," she said.
Moreover, Ms Lima - who is flying here to study English - feared that putting Lee in the hold would have affected the dog to the point of rendering it unable to carry out its duties, thus putting her safety at risk. "A guide dog is not a pet. It works hard to ensure the safety of its owner. And his job depends a lot on his psychological and emotional condition.
"I cannot risk putting Lee in an unknown and hostile environment, away from me, because this could have adverse effects on my safety," she said, adding that she has travelled with a guide dog before without any problems.
While the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation argued that an EU regulation regarding the carriage of assistance-animals travelling by air came into force last month, Air Malta general marketing manager Brian Bartolo said the directive was subject to national law, which did not say anything about guide dogs. Therefore, the regulation was not binding on Malta, he said.
However, he continued, the airline realised that this was a new reality and would be reviewing its operations manual to become compliant with the directive next week, while making an exception for Ms Lima. He said workers would have to be trained, adding that training was usually carried out in winter.
Mr Bartolo also pointed out that the directive stated that the airline had to be informed reasonably beforehand that a guide dog was travelling with a passenger, adding that Ms Lima had only booked her ticket on Wednesday.
Ms Lima expressed her appreciation for Air Malta's decision, saying the most important thing was to be able to adapt to meet the requirements of the new situation.
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Joseph Galea
Aug 16th 2008, 17:00
Good job Air Malta! You've done the right thing - used common sense rather than hid behind bureaucratic rules.
I suspect that airlines do not allow (reasonably sized) pets to travel in the cabin any more primarily to maximise their profits! Many airlines used to allow it (and some in the US still do.) I have been on flights (even transatlantic ones) where small dogs or kittens were in the cabin. However, most airlines now require pets to travel as 'freight', not even as "extra luggage" in a travelling crate in the hold.
When (in '98) I took a large Siberian Husky to Bermuda from Toronto, I paid all of $40 for an 'extra piece of luggage' for him to travel in his crate in the hold. (I never expected him to travel in the cabin!) When recently I brought a small Yorkshire Terrier from Bermuda as 'freight' it cost around $3,000, (including local freight handling and customs clearing charges, etc.) It would have been cheaper to buy him a seat if he was allowed in the cabin.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 16th 2008, 14:57
I believe that animals should not be forcefully sent to the aeroplane's hold in order to fly from one country to another.
At the moment, this is Air Malta's policy.
I agree that guide dogs are an exception and simply MUST be accepted to fly with passengers.
But, other than this, why shouldn't animals be flown with passengers?
Why should owners be coerced into accepting their beloved animals to flown away from them and in the plane's hold? What if that animal is a sickly one and needs constant attention?
Usually owners of pets do not fly their animals out with them for pure pleasure, but out of necessity.
It is true that some people are allergic to pets, but the passengers' hold is very large and a maximum of two animals may be accepted per flight.
Some airlines DO accept small animals - such as cats and small dogs. Why shouldn't Air Malta be proactive in this matter as well?
vincent a galea
Aug 16th 2008, 11:16
WELL DONE AIR MALTA !!
Franco Farrugia
Aug 16th 2008, 10:40
Well done to Air Malta for doing the only right and sensible thing to do - something which other airlines do without any fanfare!
TP Pullicino
Aug 16th 2008, 10:35
"However, he continued, the airline realised that this was a new reality and would be reviewing its operations manual to become compliant with the directive next week"
This is not a new reality, this is a lack of foresight. Blind passenger have requested to fly with their guide dogs for years ! Typicall.. being reactive and not pro Active as one would expect from an airline think tank.