A flight was delayed by two French bulldogs after they showed signs of “distress” onboard.
Norwegian flight DI7181 from London Gatwick to Austin, Texas, was held up for an hour after the captain took the decision that the emotional support dogs were not fit to fly.
The dogs, which were dressed in miniature tutus according to the BBC, were removed from the flight along with their owners.
“The safety and security of our passengers and crew is always our number one priority,” a Norwegian spokesperson told The Independent.
“Flight DI7181 from Gatwick to Austin had not yet departed when the captain took the decision to offload emotional support dogs and their two owners at the gate due to the dogs showing signs of distress in the cabin.”
A Gatwick spokesperson added that “the support dogs were fully verified and met all requirements, including passports and paperwork, when passing through airport security and boarding.“
Norwegian allows emotional support dogs in the cabin on all its direct flights to and from the US, apart from flights to the UK.
It’s not the first time an emotional support animal has caused issues on a flight.
A flight attendant needed five stitches after he was bitten on the hand by an emotional support dog in July 2019.
The incident occurred onboard American Airlines flight 3306 – operated by subsidiary Envoy Air – from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, to Piedmont Triad International Airport, North Carolina.
According to People, the dog bit the flight attendant when he was reaching into the passenger’s seatback pocket to retrieve their sick bag.
