Canada: change in airline pet policies ordered by CTA

Upon complaints by three passengers who all suffer from severe cat allergies, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ruled that Air Canada, Jazz and WestJet need to amend their policies with respect to the carriage of cats as carry-on baggage in the aircraft cabin as to include either: a ban on cats carried as pets in the aircraft cabin in which a person with a disabling cat allergy is travelling; or the following measures: air circulation/ventilation systems using HEPA filters or which provide 100 percent unrecirculated fresh air; and, a seating separation which is confirmed prior to boarding the flight and which provides a minimum of five rows between persons with a disability as a result of their allergy to cats and cats carried as pets in the cabin. CTA Decision No. 430-AT-A-2011 of Dec. 15, 2011 available here>>.

Leave a Comment