Is Pets Travel by Air Safe?
Every single year, over two million pets and other live animals take to the skies, transported by commercial airlines across the United States. Because pets are valued family members, ensuring their welfare during air travel is a significant priority for both pet owners and federal regulators.
To maintain transparency and strict accountability within the travel industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) established mandatory oversight guidelines in 2005. Under this mandate, all U.S. airlines that operate scheduled passenger flights are legally required to file comprehensive monthly incident reports regarding animal transport.
These monthly filings must thoroughly document any unfortunate events involving pets while they are in the airline’s custody. Specifically, airlines are required to disclose detailed information anytime an animal is injured, lost, or tragically dies during transit. This continuous monitoring is designed to hold carriers accountable, help consumers make informed travel decisions, and push the aviation industry to constantly improve its safety standards for our furry passengers.
In 2014 U.S airlines have reported the followning incidents on pet air travel:
| Carrier | Death | Injury | Loss | Total |
| Alaska | 3 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| American | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Delta | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Hawaiian | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| SkyWest | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| United | 5 | 13 | 1 | 19 |
When looking at the sheer volume of animals that fly each year, we can confidently conclude that pet air travel is remarkably safe. The statistical likelihood of a serious problem occurring with your pet during a flight is exceptionally low. To put that rarity into perspective, your chances of winning the grand prize in a state lottery are actually slightly higher than the chances of a pet transport incident!
While the statistics are already highly in your favor, we still leave absolutely nothing to chance. If you would like to learn more about how we ensure a smooth, comfortable, and secure journey for every single puppy, you can find more detailed information on NewDoggy’s specialized traveling procedures here.
Source: Air Travel Consumer Report/Airline Animal Incident Reports, Issued: February 2015/U.S. Department of Transportation
