Cat Allergy Restrictions on Air Canada

Cat owners are facing new restrictions when flying on Air Canada flights after a recent Canadian Transportation Agency ruling. Faced with how to resolve issues of passengers with severe cat allergies traveling on a plane that contains cats, the agency has a resolution that may cause travel angst for both cat owner and allergy sufferer.

The new ruling states that Air Canada must ban cats on its smaller planes, the Dash 8-100/300 model, if a passenger identifies himself with a cat allergy. These planes are used on Air Canada Jazz flights.  The cat will be banned from the flight if the other allergic passenger gives a 48 hour notice. This would of course, create a dilemma for the cat owner who may have booked their travel plans months in advance. No mention is given regarding how the cat owner would be accommodated at such a late date to rebook a flight.

If the allergy alert is given with less than 48 hours’ notice, the person with allergies would be shifted to a different flight. The agency did not issue an outright ban on cats, which would have been a terrible turn for pet lovers who travel with their companions.

Larger aircraft are equipped with high-efficiency air circulation and/or ventilation systems that are advanced enough to reduce the risk for allergy sufferers traveling on the same flight as a cat. The new regulations also exempt cats that are service animals or emotional support animals.

So if you’re planning to travel on Air Canada flights with your pets, be sure to book on larger planes to avoid last minute complications due to other travelers’ allergies. 

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