Dogs, cats and birds die of heat in airport container

MISHANDLED: Animals destined for Kuala Lumpur were checked out too early by ground crew and parked on an apron in temperatures up to 60°C

Staff writer, with CNA





Taoyuan International Airport Services Co (桃園航勤) yesterday apologized for killing more than 1,000 animals because it failed to follow standard operating procedures by leaving the animals in airtight containers in hot weather.

The incident involving three dogs, two cats and 10 boxes of birds was “isolated,” the company said, adding that the personnel who mishandled the animals would be punished.

As of noon yesterday, two dogs remained in critical condition, while all the other animals were pronounced dead of heat exhaustion, the Taoyuan Office of Animal Care and Control said.

An apparently unventilated trailer used by Taoyuan International Airport Services Co to move live animals is pictured yesterday at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Photo: Screengrab by Hsieh Wu-hsiung, Taipei Times

The company, which provides ground service to airlines using Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, has confirmed 1,000 baby lovebirds died as a result of the incident.

The animals were destined for Kuala Lumpur on a China Airlines (CAL, 中華航空) flight, but ground service personnel checked out the animals too early before the plane’s takeoff and left them in a container without ventilation on a parking apron, the office said.

Office secretary Kuan Te-ming said authorities were checking surveillance camera footage to identify the personnel responsible for the incident.

It is also examining evidence to see whether the airline or the airport should also be held responsible, he said.

The animals could have been trapped in an environment of about 60°C, according to the office.

Standard operating procedures specify that live animals should not be transferred to containers more than 30 minutes before takeoff.

When they are transported to the aircraft, standard operating procedures require the use of a dedicated container with a grill on one side to ensure ventilation.

Kuan said the incident, the first in Taiwan’s aviation history, could lead to a fine of between NT$15,000 and NT$75,000 for the personnel who handled the animals.

If the incident is found to have been intentional, the violator could face a one-year prison sentence, it said.