Due to “longer than typical” delays at airports, Air Canada announced on Wednesday that it will not permit animals in the baggage hold until September 12. Carriers and airports are battling customer complaints about misplaced luggage and long lineups.
Due to labor shortages, airlines in Europe, the United States, and Canada are postponing and canceling flights, and traffic is increasing faster than anticipated after declining during the pandemic.
Photos of piled-up luggage near baggage belts have been shared on social media by travelers at airports from Toronto to Frankfurt.
Air Canada stated in an email that it will not accept any new requests for pets to travel in the luggage compartment until September 12, 2022, “due to longer than usual airport delays, and for the safety and comfort of pets.” It added that existing pet reservations would be honored.
A dog that had been transported by a separate airline had been left at Toronto Pearson International Airport with luggage for nearly 21 hours, according to a report from the Canadian television network media earlier this month.
WestJet Airlines, a less popular competitor of Air Canada, declared that it will keep taking animals.
The Canadian government announced on Wednesday that it is collaborating with business to lessen traffic. The leaders of Canada’s two main airports and airlines recently met with the country’s transport minister.
Air Canada recently announced that in July and August, it would reduce the number of flights by 15%. The reductions, which will primarily affect domestic routes, will take effect on Wednesday.
The busiest airport in Canada, Pearson, said in a statement that it is “currently reviewing the impact of these changes.”
Over the long weekend, about 70% of Air Canada’s U.S. flights experienced delays, the greatest percentage of any airline, according to FlightAware statistics. The biggest foreign airline operating in the US is Air Canada.
The American aviation system is anticipated to “remain difficult this summer and beyond,” a top United Airlines executive had earlier stated on Wednesday.
