Delta to tighten rules for onboard service animals

Delta is tightening the requirements for passengers travelling with onboard service and emotional support animals, the carrier said Friday, following a sharp uptick in pet-related safety issues in recent years. Effective March 1, Delta said it will require passengers seeking to fly with pets to present additional documents outlining the passenger’s need for the animal and proof of its training and vaccinations, 48 hours prior to the flight. This comes in response to what the carrier said was a 150% increase in service and support animals - pets, often dogs, that accompany people with disabilities - carried onboard since 2015. Alongside that increase has been an 84% spike in the number of reported animal incidents since 2016, including urination and/or defecation, biting, and a high-profile 2017 mauling of a passenger by a 32 kg emotional support dog. “The rise in serious incidents involving animals in flight leads us to believe that the lack of regulation in both health and training screening for these animals is creating unsafe conditions across U.S. air travel,” said John Laughter, Delta’s senior VP of corporate safety, security and compliance. Delta said that it flies some 700 service animals a day. Among them, customers have attempted to fly with comfort turkeys, gliding possums, snakes, spiders and other unusual pets. Rival carrier American Airlines said it was examining its own policies regarding onboard service and support animals. United said it was also reviewing its policy on onboard pets. Under federal law, service animals are permitted to fly in-cabin with their owners, provided they do not pose a threat to the health and safety of others.<br/>