News: Should pets be banned from airplanes?

Let’s get something straight right up front: I am an animal lover. My roommate has adorable cats and though their morning meows can sometime grate on my very last nerve, I understand the attachment people can have to the furry (or scaly, or feathered) creatures they love. That said, I can not fathom why Air Canada made a decision last summer to allow animals to travel with their owners in airplane cabins.

Yes, you love your kitten and she should have the very best air travel can offer. But what about the other humans on board who may be allergic to your furry friend? Airplane air is bad enough without Fluffy’s dander circulating through the cabin.

Now, a Toronto respirologist is saying that pet allergens are more than an annoyance for air travelers’they could actually be very dangerous to those with severe allergies.

Dr. Matthew Stanbrook, a doctor at the Asthma and Airway Centre at the University Health Network in Toronto, has co-written an editorial in the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal that calls on The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA)  to again ban animals from travelling on board, reports the Canadian Press. Stanbrook argues that severe allergic reaction to animals could result in life-threatening breathing difficulties for passengers with allergies. The CTA is currently reviewing complaints from the public.

What do you think about animals travelling on airplanes? Should they be banned from the cabins or allowed to stay on board?