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Delta Air Lines has extended the flight rules rule with emotional support animals by abolishing an eight-hour flight limit for travel with animals.
However, the carrier continues to ban pit bulls, in accordance with the policy put in place in 2018 as a result of several incidents on board. In one of the most publicized cases, a passenger had a bleeding face after another passenger's dog attacked him.
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The Atlanta-based airline made the announcement on Monday, saying the changes were in line with the US Department of Transportation's final statement on enforcement priorities for farm and support animals, published in August.
"As of now, Delta is ending its 8-hour flight limit for ESAs. [emotional support animals]", Said the representative of the carrier in a press release. "After working with the DOT and inter-divisional business groups, Delta was able to develop a solution to protect the health and safety of people on board while allowing ESAs to fly on longer flights."
"We will never compromise on safety and we will do what is good for the health and safety of our customers and employees," said John Laughter, Senior Vice President of Safety, Security and Safety. compliance within the company. "We continue to work with DOT to find solutions that respect the rights of clients who have legitimate needs to travel with trained animals."
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The eight-hour flight limit had been in place for less than a year, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper.
However, according to the press release, the carrier plans to continue to ban pit bulls for emotional support or assistance animals "in order to protect the employees of the airline, its customers and his assistance animals. "
"Pit bulls account for less than 5% of the total dog population, but 37.5% of dog attacks. Understanding this risk, Delta has not arrived at a solution allowing the boarding of pit bulls that meet its own stringent security requirements, "the statement said.
However, the carrier continues to ban the pit bull as an emotional support animal, maintaining a policy instituted in 2018 as a result of several incidents on board.
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"We will never compromise on safety and we will do what is good for the health and safety of our customers and employees," said John Laughter, Senior Vice President of Safety, Security and Safety. compliance within the company. "We continue to work with DOT to find solutions that respect the rights of clients who have legitimate needs to travel with trained animals."
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In June 2017, a passenger from Delta Air Lines was allegedly attacked by what the police reportedly identified as a "mixture of chocolate lab pointers" during an Atlanta-San Diego flight, wounded in the face and at the top of the body. prosecution against the carrier regarding the incident.
The DOT recommendations for August, however, rejected Delta's ban of "pit bull dogs" of 2018.
Specifically, the federal government said airline employees could ban any animal that they considered a threat to safety, but that they could not totally ban a breed, such as pit bulls.
Kitty Block, president and chief executive of Humane Soceity of the United States, said Tuesday that maintaining the pit bull's ban by the airline was deeply worrying and "discriminatory."
"Delta's decision to maintain its discriminatory ban on pit bull dogs is misguided and will hurt many people," Block said in a statement. "We continue to offer Delta and all airlines our support to implement alternative solutions that preserve the sky for humans and animals."
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In recent months, public and professional organizations, including the Flight Attendant Association (AFA), have urged lawmakers to review the rules for the designation of assistance animals during air travel, so that to fight against the alleged culture of "blatant abuse" of the protocol. AFA claimed that the case turned into a "safety, health and security issue" that "negatively affected all passengers".
Earlier this summer, Delta officials said the airline had carried 245,000 assistance and support animals last year, about the same as in 2017 and a up from around 100,000 in 2015.
Traveling in the sky with animals – be it emotional support, service or a companion – is one of the most controversial travel topics in recent years.
In recent months, public and professional organizations, including the Flight Attendant Association, have urged lawmakers to review the rules governing the designation of farm animals during air travel, in order to combat the alleged culture of "maladjustment" of the protocol.
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The gates were probably opened for the first time in January 2018, when an emotional support peacock named Dexter and his owner were refused to board a United Airlines flight.
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In response, various national carriers have tightened the rules for the transport of all animals.
Delta representatives were not immediately available to comment on the policy changes announced Monday.
Dom Calicchio of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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