Most of us aren’t getting on planes and flying the not so friendly skies these days, but we do have several not so fond memories of air travel.
We get to the airport and are herded about like cattle. Once we’re past all the gates and checkpoints, it’s something of an every man for himself mentality and dog eat dog competitiveness, especially if you haven’t pre-booked a seat.
Given all that negativity, it’s nice to hear a refreshing story where a man puts a dog before everyone and everything else—and everyone was okay with it.
Simba the French Bulldog
Simba, a seven-year-old French bulldog, was taking his first flight on Air Canada Flight 85 from Tel Aviv to Toronto. And as is typical, he was in the plane’s cargo hold for the duration of the flight.
And Simba’s life was saved by a quick-thinking Air Canada pilot.
Just as the plane was about the begin its flight over the Atlantic Ocean, the captain noticed a malfunction in the cargo hold’s heating system. Knowing he had a dog down there, and that high-altitude temperatures would plummet even further over open waters, he had a decision to make.
Aviation expert Phyl Durby told CityNews,
“If you look at the outside temperature, if it’s minus 50 or 60, there is some insulation, but it will probably still get down to below freezing (in the cargo area).”
The Pilot Makes a Life-Saving Decision
What would you have done? With a planeload of passengers expecting to arrive at their destination on time, would you have carried on?
The captain, who remains unnamed made a hard choice. Or maybe the choice wasn’t that hard for him, we don’t really know. Regardless, he diverted the flight to Frankfurt, Germany instead of risking the life of Simba.
Phyl Durby, mentioned above, states,
“The captain is responsible for all lives on board — whether it’s human or canine.”
Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told CNN via email,
“As soon as the crew became aware of the temperature issue, the captain grew rightfully concerned for the dog’s comfort and well-being. With the altitude, it can become very uncomfortable, and possibly the situation could have been life-threatening if the flight had continued.”
In Frankfurt, Simba was placed onboard another flight, and the original Tel Aviv to Toronto bound flight continued on.
A Happy Ending
Simba’s owner, German Kontorovich, was ecstatic when they reunited at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.
“It’s my dog, it’s like my child. It’s everything to me.”
And everyone else?
Other passengers accepted that it was the right thing to do. The diversion to Frankfurt added an extra 75 minutes to their flight, but it seems all felt that was worth the life of a dog.
Air Canada’s statement to CNN about the situation corroborates that.
“While we recognize this was an inconvenience for our customers, the overall reaction was positive, particularly once people understood the dog was in potential danger but safe as a result of the diversion.”
The airline also incurred fuel costs of about $10,000, but all the pawsitive reviews the airline got after the fact more than made up for the price tag.
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