With summer travel well underway, more and more eager flyers are booking trips to faraway destinations, planning for a long-awaited break. According to a report by the Transportation Security Administration , a record number of travelers are estimated to be flying this summer, with TSA expecting to screen three million passengers in one day. While travel numbers surge, the number of in-flight emergencies increases, too.
Earlier last month, a 73-year-old British man tragically passed away from a heart attack after experiencing 19 seconds of severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from London’s Heathrow Airport. Now, safety protocols and best seat suggestions are being offered by pilots and aviation experts, urging travelers to keep their seat belts buckled. But what about the pets and service animals on board? What are they to do in an emergency? Deborah Mandell, a clinical emergency and critical care professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, spoke to The Washington Post on the plan animal owners should have in case of bad turbulence, fires, or mechanical issues that may occur in the air.
If a flight suddenly becomes dangerously bumpy, Mandell urges people to remove risky objects from an animal’s casing such as toys or food. According to Mandell, a layer of soft padding should be kept in their carrying case. The case should be stored under the passenger’s seat when the flight gets choppy.
Liz Rozanski, a critical care veterin.