Dubai: A new service for pet owners will make air travel to 160 countries easier for both Fido and his master, says Emirates SkyCargo.
The freight division of Emirates airline said on Thursday that it has launched Emirates Pets, a new and improved “air transportation product developed by a team of experts to offer a convenient and comfortable air transportation experience for domestic pets”.
The service will reach across the carrier’s network of more than 160 destinations.
Owners, however, will still be required to fill out paperwork and clearances needed for customs from one country to another.
As part of the new service, Emirates SkyCargo said it has teamed up with Snoopy Pets, a leading pet relocation service provider based out of Dubai, to offer a higher premium door-to-door transportation service, Emirates Pets Plus, across 16 markets.
Under its premium service, the complete logistics of transporting the pet, including filing all the required documentation, taking the pet for any required veterinary checks and transporting the pet to and from the airport, will be managed by Snoopy Pets on behalf of the customer and Emirates SkyCargo.
The markets where this service is available are Bahrain, Brazil, Cyprus, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the UAE and the UK.
With Emirates Pets and Emirates Pets Plus, owners wishing to take their pets with them on extended holidays also have the option of also booking a return flight for their pets with Emirates SkyCargo.
Emirates Pets has been designed keeping in mind the safety and comfort of the pet and offers special features including track and trace of the shipment, late cut-off time for pet acceptance at origin, dedicated animal care areas at Emirates SkyCargo’s hubs in Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC), temperature-protected transportation on the ramp, special handling facilities worldwide as well as availability of veterinary care on a 24/7 basis. Emirates Pets’ robust animal welfare-oriented processes have been developed in compliance with the conditions outlined in the IATA Live Animal Regulations (LAR) to ensure that pets are well cared for throughout their journey, the airline said.
11,000 pets transported in 2 years
In the last two years, Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than 11,000 domestic pets — mostly dogs and cats on its flights.
Close to 60 per cent of the animals flown have either started or ended their journey in the UAE.
Nearly 3,000 pets have travelled to the UK over the same time period with the air cargo carrier.
