Liability of airlines towards animals

European justice has determined how a pet should be considered when transported by air - as a "special passenger" or as an object defined by the baggage rules. The Supreme Court of the European Union has concluded that when assessing the liability of an airline, an animal is equated with baggage.

This decision means that if a carrier loses a pet, compensation will be calculated with the same limits as for checked baggage under the Montreal Convention.

The court decision does not regulate veterinary requirements, IATA containers or the admission of an animal into the cabin - these norms remain unchanged. The change concerns only the regime of liability in case of loss, death or damage to an animal during transportation. Limit of Compensation: In international shipments, compensation is limited to the Montreal Convention "baggage" limits defined by the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) (a currency unit used by the International Monetary Fund Dee will review periodically). Uniform approach: this decision eliminates legal uncertainty: the subject of the dispute will no longer be whether the "thing" is an animal or a "family member", as the criterion for calculating compensation becomes uniform.

Practical consequence: In practice, the basic limit may not cover the actual damage (veterinary costs, search costs, etc.), which is why the importance of voluntary insurance (Pet Travel) increases dramatically. Tips for passengers traveling with pets: Check the rules: Check specific airline rules (cabin access, restricted breeds, temperature embargo). Reserve a seat in advance: the number of animals on the flight is limited; Send the request immediately after purchasing the ticket. Prepare the container (IATA standard): Use a solid container with attached locks, with ventilation on three sides. Veterinary training: provide chipping, vaccinations, deworming and steerage for destination country documents. Insurance: Take out a "Pet travel" policy as the basic SDR limit may be insufficient. GPS-tracker: Use GPS/LTE-tracker or AirTag (if airline allows) to search. Get to the airport in advance: check-in of the pet and container takes a lot of time, add 60-90 minutes to the usual time.

avianews.ge