2014 Airline Pet Travel Summary
The number of pet related airline incidents increased in 2014. Six airlines reported 16 pet deaths (down from 21 in 2013), 25 pet injuries and 3 pet losses. This is a total of 44 incidents in 2014 compared to 42 in 2013.
The number of pet injuries increased from 14 in 2013 to 25 in 2014. This seems to be in large part due to better reporting of minor cuts and scraps that are sometimes self inflicted by the pet during transport.
Securing the kennel with zip ties, both kennel door and top and bottom sections, remains an important step that is often missed in many of the injuries and losses.
The number of reported incidents in 2015 is likely to be higher due to a new requirement to report incidents related to breeders shipping pets who had previously been exempt from reporting.
A summary of all the pet incidents in 2014 can be found here.
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2015 Airline Pet Travel Summary
The overall number or or reported pet related travel incidents increased in 2015. Six airlines reported a total of 63 pet deaths, injuries and losses. This is an increase over the 45 incidents reported in 2014.
2025 Airline Pet Travel Summary
In 2025, U.S. airlines reported 8 pet-related air travel incidents — down 33% from the 12 recorded the prior year. The year's incidents spanned four carriers: Alaska Airlines led with 3 incidents, including 2 deaths, followed by American Airlines with 3 incidents including the year's only reported pet loss. Delta and United Airlines each recorded 1 incident. Deaths fell sharply from 8 in 2024 to 3 in 2025, though the year closed on a somber note with the December death of Meli, a three-year-old Golden Retriever, on an Alaska Airlines flight in Seattle.
February 2026 Airline Pet Travel Report
December 2025 Animal Transport Consumer Report This month we have one incident to report, from Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines reported the...
2024 Airline Pet Travel Summary
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) documented 12 pet-related air travel incidents, comprising 4 injuries and 8 deaths, with no reported losses.
What Does AVIH Mean?
Traveling with pets can be stressful, especially when you need to transport them by air. There are various regulations and procedures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of animals in transit. One term that often comes up in this context is **AVIH**
Alaska Airlines Cargo Door Arrives Open While Transporting Pets
On March 8, 2024, Alaska Airlines Flight 1423 departed Los Cabos, Mexico and arrived in Portland, Oregon with its cargo door unsealed and cracked open. The cargo hold was transporting passenger's pets, thankfully none of the animals were injured. The Alaska Airlines maintenance team inspected the aircraft, replaced a spring in the door, tested it and reentered it into service. This is a Boeing 737-800 (twin-jet) B738, Tail Number N513AS. Just weeks after a door plug blew off mid-air during Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, Alaska Airlines sued Boeing for $1B over plane safety.