PetAirways Launches First Animal Airline in July
After seeing how many pets are killed, injured, lost, or traumatized after flying in the cargo hold of commercial airlines each year, Alysa Binder and her husband Dan Wiesel decided to do something about it. They had just transported their dog, Zoe, in cargo for a cross-country move, and they saw how upset and disoriented she was when they landed. They realized they were lucky she was only upset and not hurt, but didn’t want to have to put her through that experience again, or see other pet owners have to put their pets in cargo. Some pets get overheated due to the lack of airflow in the cargo area, others suffer from lack of oxygen, and some try to escape from their crates which results in injury or death.
So they formed PetAirways, an airline only for pets (who will be called “pawsengers”), which will begin service on July 14th. For now, the airline only services Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, and Washington D.C., but they hope to spread to 25 cities within the next couple years.
The PetAirways plane was made from a 19-passenger turbo prop with the seats and luggage bins removed. They were replaced with 50 pet carriers which are secured by individual straps. Each pet will have their own carrier and attendants stay with the animals from the moment you drop them off until you pick them up in the destination city. People can’t fly on PetAirways, but if your flight is on a different schedule, PetAirways makes sure to have someone taking care of your pet until you are able to retrieve it.
Attendants also feed the pets before take-off and after landing, and make sure that they are comfortable. For longer flights, the plane makes a pit stop so all animals are able to move around and use the restroom if needed. There is also a trained veterinarian available at all times to look after the animals. There is a pet lounge available for the animals to play in before and after flights.
Flights for pets isn’t cheap — they are offering special prices for now, but they are expecting flights to cost about $250 one way. Still, $250 is a small amount to secure your pet’s safety and comfort. I know I would never be able to put my pet in cargo, and for moves across the country it’s hard to transport a pet any other way. PetAirways is one of the best ideas I’ve heard about in a long time, and I hope it turns out to be successful.
PetAirways also works in collaboration with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. They will donate flights for pet adoptions and rescue so that more pets can be transported safely to their new homes.
