Air Canada announced yesterday that it has stopped accepting new requests from passengers to transport their pets in the cargo hold on its flights until September 12.
The major Canadian airline attributed its decision to longer-than-usual delays at the country's main airports and logistical challenges, which could harm the animals themselves.

However, passengers will still be allowed to bring their small pets on board, provided they can lie down in carriers under the seats in front of their owners.

The company said that bringing a pet in the cabin will cost $50 on flights within Canada and the United States (excluding the Hawaiian Islands), and $100 on international flights.

But "all existing bookings related to pets will be honored," the company said in response to a question from "CBC" (the English division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).

The new decision "does not affect trained service animals," said Air Canada.

The company's decision came after reports of pets being left for several hours in cages among luggage.

However, the company did not respond to questions about the conditions required to lift the new ban, nor did it provide information on whether any pets were lost or fell ill during the recent chaos at the airports.

It is noted that airlines and major airports in several regions of Canada have been suffering for weeks from significant flight delays and large accumulations of luggage, amid a shortage of staff and a sharp increase in the number of travelers after lifting travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic that lasted more than two years.

This situation negatively affects customer service, which has led several airlines to reduce the number of their flights.

For example, Air Canada announced last week a reduction in its summer flights by more than 15%, totaling nearly 10,000 flights in July and August.