Most airlines in Japan not planning to allow passengers to bring pets into cabin: survey

TOKYO — Ten out of 13 major airlines in Japan are not planning to allow passengers to bring pets into the aircraft cabin, a Mainichi Shimbun survey has revealed.

The Jan. 2 collision between Japan Airlines Co. (JAL) and Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda Airport in Tokyo has triggered calls for pets to be allowed in the cabin, after two pets were left behind in the cargo hold of the JAL plane as it caught fire. How are airlines responding to these calls?

The Mainichi in late January asked the 13 airlines about their in-cabin pet policies and what consideration they were giving to allowing animals to accompany passengers, offering the following options: (I) neither allowing nor considering changing their policy, (II) considering allowing, and (III) allowing.

Only Star Flyer Inc., which began allowing pets in the cabin in phases starting in 2022, selected (III), and 10 airlines chose (I). JAL and its group company Japan Transocean Air Co. did not select any of the options, and the former answered, “In response to the recent accident, we have begun discussions among parties concerned within the company about the handling of pets, including bringing them into the cabin. While taking into consideration our customers’ requests to allow pets in the cabin, we believe it is necessary to fully examine the safety aspects of aircraft operations and the impact on other passengers before setting a course of action.”

A JAL spokesperson told the Mainichi, “We will consider our future direction from a neutral stance, not on the assumption that we will introduce the system. We have to consider whether pets brought on board will be a safety hazard during the smooth evacuation (of an aircraft), when human life is the highest priority.”

The survey also asked about reasons for not allowing pets, and many companies cited passenger health.

All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA), with its two group companies, responded, “From the viewpoint of consideration for passengers with allergies, the only service we offer is checking pets in the cargo hold.” Skymark Airlines Inc. also stated, “For the comfort of all passengers aboard, including those with allergies, we are checking pets in the cargo hold at this time.” The company added, “We take great care of pets as companion animals, not cargo.”

A former major airline employee explained, “If a passenger reported in advance that they had an allergy to peanuts or other food, we cleaned the area around their seat carefully before boarding. Pets should be treated in the same way, so it would take a lot of effort. Guide dogs are allowed to accompany passengers, but we paid a lot of attention to the seats around them.”

She added, “Some people think of pets as family members, while others think of them as mere animals, so there are some difficult aspects. However, it might be a good idea to allow pets only on early morning flights, when there are fewer passengers.”

The 13 companies that responded to the survey are: JAL, ANA, Japan Transocean Air Co., Skymark Airlines Inc., Airdo Co., Air Japan Co., ANA Wings Co., Solaseed Air Inc., Star Flyer, Peach Aviation Ltd., Jetstar Japan Co., Spring Airlines Japan Co., and Zipair Tokyo Inc.

(Japanese original by Kohei Chiwaki, Tokyo City News Department)