British Airways embargoes dog shipments

British Airways has temporarily suspended bookings for transporting dogs as cargo on flights. The carrier announced the news after a dog was found to have been carried in the wrong sized crate, according to local British media.

The airline is currently investigating the incident, during which time it will not accept bookings for dogs to travel in the cargo hold.

British Airways works in partnership with its parent company and cargo handling arm, IAG Cargo, to transport pets to and from the United Kingdom. On its website, IAG Cargo includes a form for owners to fill out the size and weight dimensions of their pet in preparation for travel, and outlines its procedures, working with specialist pet travel agents, like Pet Air UK, to prepare pets for travel. IAG Cargo also states on its site that its practices adhere to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) Live Animal Regulation worldwide standards, which include crate sizes based on the size of an animal.

“We take the responsibility of transporting and caring for animals travelling with us extremely seriously,” a British Airways representative told Air Cargo World, but did not share any further information on the potential rule breach and how it aims to prevent similar incidents moving forward.

Further details on the case and potential lift of the booking suspension are yet to be disclosed.

This article has been updated to clarify that the live animal ban extends only to shipments of dogs.