Japan Airlines Refuse to Allow Pets in Cabin Despite Animals' Fiery Deaths in Tokyo Crash
Despite the outcry from animal-lovers after a dog and a cat died in the hold of the Japan Airlines (JAL) aircraft that collided with another plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on January 2, Japan’s two major airlines say they have no plans to lift their ban on pets accompanying passengers in the cabin.
Pressure to Rethink Policies
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have been under pressure to rethink their policies that require animals to travel in secure containers in the hold of aircraft, with pet-lovers pointing out that other international airlines permit animals to travel with their owners in the cabin.
Changing Policies After Customer Complaints
Both JAL and ANA previously allowed pets in the cabin, but they changed the rules following customer complaints. The airlines have not indicated any plans to revert back to their old policies despite the recent tragic incident.
Concerns Over Evacuations
Apart from the emotional and moral arguments, there are also concerns about how the ban on pets in the cabin may affect evacuations during emergencies. Experts argue that having pets in the cabin could slow down evacuation processes and potentially endanger human lives.
