WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Aviation regulators said on Wednesday
that
US Airways (NYSE:U - news) did nothing wrong in allowing a 300-pound
pet pig to fly first class last month from Philadelphia to Seattle.
The porker named Charlotte, owned by a woman with a heart condition
who
says the animal's presence helps relieve stress, ran squealing
through the
Boeing 757's cabin on landing, discharging feces as it went.
But FAA (news - web sites)'s Philadelphia flight standards office
decided the
pig complied with Department of Transportation policy on allowing
individuals with a disability to travel with their service animals.
FAA has no recommendations on how to carry pigs in the future.
``The
carriers will have to cross that sty when they come to it,''
said FAA
spokesman Jim Peters.
``US Airways and its employees acted in a reasonable thoughtful
manner
based on a legitimate request to transport a qualified individual
with a
disability and her service animal,'' Peters said.
Airlines needed only credible verbal assurances that the animal
was a
legitimate service animal. FAA said it was implied the animal
was trained and
would be under control. ``Basically we accept the word of the
passenger,''
said Peters.
But US Airways spokesman David Castelveter said future requests
for
service animal travel would be carefully evaluated.
``An incident like this will not happen again,'' he said. ''Any
decision you
make regarding bringing an animal on board, you would have to
consider the
safety factors.''
But would US Airways accept a pig in the future?
``You'd have to evaluate that based upon its merit,'' Castelveter said.
My feelings exactly!! Ted B