SIA Will Not Allow Emotional Support Dogs To Travel With Passengers From April 2023
Passengers departing from Singapore can still travel with their emotional support dogs after 1 April if they submit a request before this cut-off date.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers will no longer be able to fly with their emotional support dogs starting 1 April next year, according to updates on the airline's website yesterday, 12 December
SIA stated that assistance dogs are trained to perform certain tasks to assist persons with disabilities, while emotional support dogs are companion dogs that alleviate psychological disabilities.
However, customers departing from Singapore can still travel with their emotional support dogs after 1 April if they submit a request before this cut-off date, an airline spokesperson informed CNA yesterday.
Other customers who want to transport their emotional support dogs in the cargo hold after this date must contact their local Singapore Airlines Cargo office for assistance before their flight.
"Singapore Airlines continuously reviews and benchmarks our policies against the industry norm," said the spokesperson.
Image via Mainly Miles
Prior to the policy changes, passengers were still allowed to bring assistance and emotional support dogs into the aeroplane cabin without any charges if specific criteria were followed
Passengers get an exception to bring in assistance dogs such as guide or hearing dogs and emotional support dogs but still need to comply with the specific conditions and regulations of departure, transit, and destination countries.
To fly with an assistance or emotional support dog, the dog must be at least four months old, be trained to obey commands, behave appropriately, and must not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of other customers.
Small dogs no larger than the size of a two-year-old child may sit on a passenger's lap, while larger dogs must sit on the cabin floor in front of the passenger's seat.
Dogs must always be leashed or kept in a carrier, and they must not obstruct the legroom of other customers or block the aisle or emergency exit.
SIA has also listed dog breeds that are not permitted in the cabin, as well as countries that do not allow emotional support dogs to accompany strangers
Certain restricted breeds require additional documents regarding their behaviour before they are allowed into the cabin such as Akita, Boerboel, Bull Terrier, Doberman Pinscher, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, and many more.
Emotional support dogs are not allowed to travel in the cabin in and out of certain countries due to their import and export regulations.
This includes flights into Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, along with flights in and out of Bali, Brunei, and Hong Kong, among others.
The full guideline can be found here.
Recently, a woman travelled with her bougie corgis on a business class flight to Thailand:
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