Air Canada Bans Dogs from Flights

Air Canada is wrong.

An in depth study of “In-flight medical care aboard selected US airlines in 1996 and 1997” concluded that of 1132 medical incidents. Of these 1132 only 27 (2.3%) were due to some form of allergic reaction. In fact a total of only 145 were diverted 7.8% (considered serious enough for the diversion) The bulk of these were for Cardiac reasons. There was no mention of whether any of the allergic reactions was severe enough for the flights to be diverted, nor was there mention of which type of allergic reaction. There is a table showing one instance of use of a topical antihistamine and one instance of a Vasodilator.

Thus the cause of the allergic reaction on the small number of in-flight cases was not mentioned. However checking statistics on the general public outside of airlines, causes of severe allergic reactions enough to cause death in the United States are as follows:

Penicillin 400 deaths per year
Food allergy 150 deaths per year
Insect sting 40 deaths per year
Latex allergy 3 deaths per year

An extensive search could not reveal in the general population any allergic reaction to pets that caused death.

Similar studies in Great Britain indicate similar low percentage of any allergic reactions on flights.

One must conclude that any serious allergic reaction on a flight is more than extremely unlikely to be caused by a pet, and far more likely to be caused by touching a tray, an armrest, or other item that has been touched by someone else; for example someone that has eaten or touched peanuts or similar allergenic substance.

Ventilation system in an airplane

Studies have been made of the possibility of a virus spreading in an airplane. These documents show that airflow in an airplane comes from multiple overhead supply outlets along the length of the aircraft and ventilates directly downwards through multiple floor grilles in the floor. Half of the cabin air is re-circulated passing through High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters and a half of the air is fresh.

Even according to Air Canada’s website:

“There is a total air change (filtered recirculated plus outside air) every 2 - 3 minutes or 20 to 30 exchanges per hour. This is far more than for any home or office building and easily maintains cabin contaminants to low levels.”

A pet enclosed in an approved pet carrier placed below a seat (of necessity close to the outward bound air grilles in the floor) is extremely unlikely to convey pet dander against the airflow should dander even escape their pet carrier. The HEPA filters are designed to even remove bacteria (they are used in pharmaceutical production). Bacteria are many times more microscopic than pet dander.

Love me, love my dog! No more Air Canada!!!!!!