NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has advised all the airlines to formulate and prominently display the policy of “Carriage of Pets in Aircraft Cabin” on their respective websites.
“Within the ambit of said Aeronautical Information Chart (AIC) airlines are permitted to formulate their own procedures for carriage of pets or live animals in the cabin as the final responsibility of safety of flight is with the Pilot-In- Command of the flight,” according to the DGCA.
Under rule 24C of Aircraft Rules 1937, the DGCA has permitted the airlines to carry pets by air to, from and within India, animals, birds, and reptiles in an aircraft subject to the observance of the general conditions as specified in AIC 9 of 1985.
“It is brought to the attention of all concerned that ICAO has not yet issued any guidelines with regard to carriage of pets in passenger compartments. The Federation Aviation Authority has permitted their airlines to have their own respective policies for carriage of pets in cabin. The aviation safety regulators worldwide have not issued any specific policy for carriage of pets inside the cabin and they have allowed their airlines to develop respective procedures for the same,” according to the DGCA.