SIA will not enable passengers to fly with emotional assist canine from April 2023

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airways (SIA) passengers will not have the ability to fly with their emotional assist canine from Apr 1 subsequent yr, the airline’s web site confirmed on Monday (Dec 12).

The airline’s coverage on help canine stays unchanged.

On its web site, SIA described help canine as animals that are skilled to carry out sure duties to help individuals with disabilities. It described emotional assist canine, in the meantime, as companion canine that alleviate psychological disabilities.

Nonetheless, an airline spokesperson instructed CNA on Monday that prospects departing from Singapore should still journey with their emotional assist canine after Apr 1 in the event that they submit a request earlier than this deadline.

Different prospects who want to transport their emotional assist canine within the cargo maintain after this date might contact their native Singapore Airways Cargo workplace for help earlier than their flight.

“Singapore Airways repeatedly critiques and benchmarks our insurance policies towards the trade norm,” mentioned the spokesperson.

ASSISTANCE DOGS

In line with SIA’s web site, pets are typically not allowed in its flight cabins, however help canine – akin to information or listening to canine – and emotional assist canine are exceptions.

Passengers travelling with these canine have to adjust to the particular circumstances and rules of departure, transit and vacation spot international locations.

The canine need to be at the very least 4 months previous and be skilled to obey instructions and behave appropriately. They need to additionally not pose a direct risk to the well being and security of different passengers.

SIA’s tips additionally stipulate that the canine should not occupy a seat.

Small canine no bigger than the scale of a two-year-old youngster might sit on a passenger’s lap, whereas bigger canine should sit on the cabin ground in entrance of the passenger’s seat.

Canine have to be all the time leashed or stored in a provider, and should not impede the legroom of different prospects or block the aisle or emergency exit. 

Moisture-absorbing materials should even be positioned on the cabin ground beneath the canine always.

Passengers travelling with an help canine or an emotional assist canine should present SIA with: Import or export permits, or each, topic to country-specific rules; a transshipment licence if the canine is transiting by Singapore; a veterinary well being certificates; and a rabies vaccination letter.

A passenger travelling with an emotional assist canine should additionally fill in an acknowledgement type and supply a signed assertion from inside a yr of their flight date from a licensed psychological well being skilled.

The assertion should state that the passenger has a psychological or emotional incapacity recognised within the Diagnostic and Statistical Handbook of Psychological Problems (DSM), and is beneath the skilled’s care, and that the passenger wants the emotional assist canine for air journey or for actions at their vacation spot.

The assertion should additionally embody the psychological well being skilled’s licence data together with the problem date, licence kind and jurisdiction and state the place it was issued.

Canine which meet these necessities are allowed to fly with out extra expenses.

Final month, two corgis made headlines after they travelled in enterprise class on board Singapore Airways flight SQ33 from San Francisco to Singapore.

The canine have been allowed within the cabin after their homeowners confirmed emotional assist animal documentation.