A Ryanair
Boeing 737-800 had been grounded for two days as a stray cat cozied up inside the aircraft while it was on the ground in Rome, Italy.
Grounded due to a cat
According to reports by British tabloids, a Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registered as EI-DPI, had been grounded for at least two days at Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport
(FCO) since a stowaway cat squashed up inside the aircraft while it was on the ground.
Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying
As a result of the stowaway feline being stuck inside the aircraft, Ryanair had to ground the 737-800
at Rome-Fiumicino for at least two days. The single-aisle jet landed at Rome-Fiumicino at 23:42 local time (UTC +1) on January 31.
Since touching down in the Italian capital on flight FR6985 from Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN), the 737-800 remained on the ground at Rome-Fiumicino until February 3. Then, the aircraft took off from the Italian airport toward Memmingen Airport (MEM). The 18-year-old 737-800 had been flying actively until February 11, when it once again landed at Memmingen at 08:46 local time (UTC +1).
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Animals on runways
In November 2024, Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport
(CDG) had to close down two of its runways as a female dog escaped its carriage and ran across the airport’s premises. The runways were closed when officials launched drones to look for the animal.
At the time, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that airport officials had picked a non-peak period to search for the four-legged pet. Eventually, on November 28, 2024, the dog was reunited with its owner after it was found in Dammartin-en-Goële, a commune northeast of the airport.
Photo: nblx | Shutterstock
According to Le Figaro, the dog escaped its carriage inside the lower cargo hold following an alleged hard landing. When baggage handlers opened the door of the cargo hold, the dog zoomed past the handlers and presumably escaped through a fence, leaving the French airport’s premises.
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The incident occurred earlier today.
Traveling with animals
In the US, federal and state governments have restrictions on transporting live animals, with each airline establishing its own rules to handle the animals they transport, according to the Department of Transportation ( DOT
).
The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service enforces the Animal Welfare Act, which stipulates that cats and dogs must be at least eight weeks and must have been weaned for at least five days before they can travel.
“Cages and other shipping containers must meet the minimum standard for size, ventilation, strength, sanitation, and design for safe handling. (Sky kennels furnished by the airlines meet these requirements.)”
Photo: Masarik | Shutterstock
Other requirements include but are not exclusive to the owners being mandated to bring the animal to the airline four hours in advance, younger and older animals have to be fed at least once 12 or 24 hours, respectively, and animals must not be exposed to temperatures lower than 45°F (7.2°C) unless approved by a veterinarian.
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