Delta Air Lines will begin limiting the number of emotional support animals that passengers can bring on its airliners, a shift that comes as lawmakers tighten rules governing the practice.
Starting July 10, the Atlanta-based carrier will allow only one such pet per customer and stop considering pit bulls in the category. Congress began considering legislation narrowing the definition of such animals for air-travel purposes earlier this year after a series of incidents, including one in which a dog died in an overhead bin during a United Airlines flight.
Delta said its rules reflect growing safety concerns, including cases in which employees were bitten. Earlier this year, the carrier began requiring pet owners to provide immunization records, and it now requires them to use the full-service check-in process when traveling with an animal.
Since 2016, Delta has noted an 84 percent increase in incidents involving service and support animals. Aside from dogs, customers have attempted to bring comfort turkeys, gliding possums, and spiders aboard for emotional comfort.
“Ignoring the true intent of existing rules governing the transport of service and support animals can be a disservice to customers who have real and documented needs,” the airline said.
A bill from Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., that is backed by the airline industry would effectively ban all pets except service animals from flying with their owners in aircraft cabins. And House legislation to reauthorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration would require the Department of Transportation to launch a rule-making process to define the term “service animal.”
That bill passed the chamber earlier this year, and the Senate is expected to take up its own FAA reauthorization bill in the coming months. A spokesman for the Senate Commerce Committee didn’t immediately respond to a query about whether its version would include provisions impacting service or support animals.
