Dog released from carrier mid-air after it makes ‘weird’ noise, owner faces action

A passenger onboard an Akasa flight who was flying with her pet to Goa is facing legal troubles after she released her dog from its carrier while in the air.

The incident took place on September 9 onboard a Delhi-Goa Akasa Air flight.

The passenger, identified as 30-year-old Alisha Adhana, allegedly opened the pet carrier mid-flight after her dog began making “weird sounds”, as per a report by the Times of India.

The Akasa Air confirmed the incident and said that the matter has been reported to the concerned authorities.

“An incident involving a pet owner occurred on flight QP1378 operating from Delhi to Goa on September 9, 2023. During the flight, the passenger declined to follow established safety protocols by repeatedly removing their pet from its container while the aircraft was in flight,” the Akasa Air spokesperson said.

The airline said that the woman’s action posed a safety risk as well as disturbed the other passengers and crew members.

“Our cabin crew requested that the passenger return the pet to its designated container, in accordance with our established pet carriage policy. Unfortunately, the passenger was uncooperative. According to our process, upon landing our crew reported the incident to the relevant authorities,” the airline said.

Akasa Air, which allowed passengers to fly with their pets in November last year, emphasised that there are special protocols related to carrying pets on board to ensure the safety of customers and crew members.

“Akasa Air had zero tolerance against uncooperative passenger behaviour,” the statement added.