Woman seeks answers from Brussels Airlines after cat dies during flight

A Brussels woman whose cat died during a flight with Brussels Airlines is demanding an explanation, saying the cat was "perfectly healthy at check-in", with the airline promising a "thorough investigation".

Aurélie Panneels travelled with Raja and Saffier, her Sphynx cats, from Nice at the end of October in order to move back to Belgium following several years living in Cannes.

“It was meant to be a new beginning,” Panneels told Bruzz. “Unfortunately, it turned out completely differently.”

Brussels Airlines allows pets weighing up to 8kg to travel in a carrier stowed under a seat on its flights. Heavier cats and dogs are placed in a transport crate in the hold.

“Raja and Saffier had to go in separate compartments [in the hold],” Panneels said. 

“The kittens often sleep together in that crate, so it’s certainly not an environment that causes them stress. Rules are rules, though. So I didn’t see much of a problem with it.”

After landing in Brussels, Panneels waited for her cats for more than an hour while other owners were reportedly reunited with their pets quickly.

“First I was told they’d lost Raja and Saffier, then that one of them was ill,” said Panneels. “No proper explanation was given.”

When the cats were eventually handed over after more than an hour, Raja was in poor shape: “A baggage handler urged me to see a vet straight away. I then rushed through the airport, but at the vet’s I was told that Raja had been dead for quite some time.”

Despite extensive email correspondence with Brussels Airlines, Panneels is still left with questions. 

“What happened during that hour I had to wait?” the owner asked. “Why didn’t they call a vet? Why were they given the impression that Raja was still alive?”

Panneels is therefore accusing the airline above all of a lack of transparency. 

“We’re talking about a living creature here, not a piece of luggage,” said Panneels. “If that had been the case, I would have received answers to my questions long ago.”

Brussels Airlines spokesperson Nico Cardone expressed his regret at the incident in a statement. 

“We are now going to thoroughly investigate what happened, and will contact the passenger as soon as we know what happened,” Cardone said. 

“Brussels Airlines transports about 22,000 animals every year, 2,000 of which travel in the hold. The fact that things have gone wrong on this occasion is highly exceptional.”

Panneels believes additional measures are needed to prevent further animal suffering. 

“At check-in, Raja was a healthy tomcat. A few hours later, he was dead,” Panneels said. “I will never again leave my pet in a separate compartment.”