Virgin Australia apologizes after passenger accused airline of disgraceful act in extreme heat on runway
An irate passenger has criticized Virgin Australia for the airline's treatment of her dog after the animal was left in a plastic-wrapped cage on an airport tarmac in sweltering conditions.
Kelsey Partridge was waiting to board her flight to Victoria from Perth Airport on January 8 when she saw her Japanese Spitz, Navi, waiting helplessly in the crate.
The shocked passenger watched as the six-year-old dog was left on a metal trailer along with three other animals, which had to be shipped out as temperatures rose above 30 degrees.
Shocking footage showed Ms Partridge's dog tightly locked inside the cage, with plastic wrapped tightly around the outside to cover the air holes.
Navi was forced to wait in the hot sun for more than half an hour, forcing an irate Mrs Partridge to beg ground staff to allow the dog to be taken out of the sun.
An irate passenger has criticized Virgin Australia after her dog was left on an airport tarmac in sweltering conditions in a container tightly wrapped in plastic (pictured)
Fearing for the welfare of her dog, Ms Partridge got into a tense confrontation with airline staff and refused to board until her pet was removed from the tarmac.
“It became one of the most stressful and traumatic experiences of my life,” Ms Partridge said 7 News.
She said the experience left Navi dehydrated and sad, and put the dog's life in danger.
“I'd really like to know what idiot thought this was an efficient and safe way to control the animals.”
The dog was eventually removed from the tarmac by ground crew and flown safely on the four-hour flight to Victoria.
A Virgin Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the airline's staff could have done better to ensure the animals did not experience any potential harm.
Mrs Partridge (pictured) said her dog's life was threatened when the animal was left crated on a metal trailer as temperatures rose above 30 degrees Celsius.
The spokesperson said employees and ground crews have received training to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“Following this incident, our cargo and platform team has undergone an internal review of processes,” the spokesperson said.
“The health, safety and wellbeing of all Virgin Australia guests, including pets traveling with us, is our top priority.”
According to RSPCA guidelines, some companion animals are more susceptible to heat stress than others when flown on an aircraft.
The containers in which pets are kept during transportation on an airplane must have enough space for the animals to stand and lie down.
They must also have adequate ventilation and shade from the elements and comply with International Air Transport Association regulations.
Passengers are urged to fly with their pets when the weather is cooler to avoid heat stress.