A pet dog escaped from the cage while being taken towards the Air India Aircraft in a trolley in the Lohegaon Airport, Pune. The dog was going to Delhi with its owner. The dog was to be put in the cargo hold of the aircraft for travel.

As soon as, the dog ran away, the Airline officials informed the owner. He decided not to travel and search for his pet.

“On Monday, a search for the dog was carried out with the help of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Air Force (IAF). The dog fled towards the Airside, which is a concern because flights take off and land there. It has not been found so far. The search will continue on Wednesday with the help of the IAF and AAI,” another airline official said.

A source said the dog might have got restless while being carried towards the aircraft.

“We have learned that the dog was a bit restless and aggressive. No one really imagined that it will escape from the cage. All necessary steps and precautions were taken. The passenger is cooperating with us and we have refunded the sum we charged for carrying the pet. We are searching for the pet, but the airside is a huge area. It is controlled by the Indian Air Force,” the official said.

Another source said once an airline accepts to fly a pet, its safety becomes the airline’s responsibility.

“The airlines must ensure that all specifications and regulations are followed for transporting a pet. There have been instances of owners lightly sedating pets so that they don’t get scared without informing the airlines. In this case, it does not appear to be the case. It is a concern as the dog fled towards the airside, which has the runway. There have been many cases across airports in which a foreign object has suddenly come on the runway, posing a risk to landing or take-off,” an airport official said.

As per the norms put in place, airlines are fully responsible for the pets once they are on board.

Reference: The Times Of India

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