Although airlines have significantly tightened rules governing the carriage of emotional support animals on flights, more should be done, a flight attendant union says.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is calling for the US department of transportation to take action after a flight attendant was bitten by a dog during a Dallas-Fort Worth to Greensboro flight.
The unnamed male flight attendant needed stitches in his left hand.
"What happened on the American Airlines flight is completely unacceptable and inexcusable,” the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said in a statement.
"We need the department of transportation to take action now, so events like the one that happened yesterday do not continue to occur on our planes."
"This is fundamentally about maintaining safety, health and security for passengers and crew, while ensuring accessibility for those who need it."
The incident took place on an American Eagle flight operated by Envoy Air.
Most US airlines have tightened rules for emotional support animals, such as banning ‘exotic’ pets and puppies, and ensuring owners supply proof of the necessary veterinary health forms and vaccination paperwork in advance.
A young girl was mauled by an emotional support dog last year on a Southwest Airlines flight and a man was bitten the previous year on a Delta flight.
In both cases lawsuits have been filed.
