Pilot diverts Canada-bound flight to Germany for dog

...Diversion costs N1.07m in landing fee and aviation fuel

http://www.gatewaymail.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/The-dog-and-owner..jpg

 

CANADA: IN order to safe the life of a dog, Air Canada pilot rerouted a Toronto-bound flight to Frankfurt in Germany.

The move was to safe a dog that was suspected may freeze to death due to low level of ambient temperature to sustain its life should it fly over the Atlantic Ocean.

Though Air Canada may have lost $7,000 (N1.07 million) on the pilot’s action as landing fee and aviation fuel, but the company, Gatewaymail gathered, believed that it was better to safe the dog’s life as it was its responsibilities to ensure safety of all passengers flying in its aircraft.

The French bulldog, named Simba, was travelling n Sunday with 260 people from Tel Aviv in Israel to Toronto, Canada before the pilot got wind of the fact that one of the heaters in the cargo hold was not functioning adequately contrary to Air Canada rules that the temperatures must not be less than 10 degrees for dog-like travelers.

While speaking on the development, the spokesperson for the airline, Peter Fitzpatrick, said that the pilot felt Simba might die as the cargo hold would not take long to be too cold for the pet animal.

Sensing the danger, according to the spokesman in an email, the pilot diverted the plane to Frankfurt where the dog was moved to another aircraft.

The pilot thereafter continued his journey back to Toronto which he arrived 75 minutes late.

Fitzpatrick said: “While we recognize this was an inconvenience for our customers, the overall reaction was positive, particularly once people understood the dog was in potential danger but safe as a result of the diversion.”

It was gathered that the owner, German Kontorovich, who described Simba was like a child to him, and the dog, thereafter, reunited at the Pearson International Airport in Toronto.