Traveling by Air with Service Animals Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM)

Filed on regulations.gov — full text not in the inline record.

Regardless of its determination on other issues in this rulemaking, DOT should clearly state that airport operators have authority under federal law to require any animal that does not meet the ADA definition of service animal to be contained in a pet carrier (or, at the airports option, some other restriction, such as being on a leash) when it is in an airport terminal or any part of the airport, aside from an aircraft subject to the ACAA. Airport operators believe that tightening the definition of service animal under the ACAA to conform to the ADA definition, as requested by airlines, would help eliminate or reduce potential problems in airport terminals, and so we would support such a measure. Even if DOT were to require airlines to continue to transport animals that do not meet the ADA definition of service animals, the Department should allow airlines to impose reasonable restrictions to prevent unruly or disruptive animals from being transported; these measures should not be dependent on the animals exhibiting bad behaviors in the terminal that pose a threat to other passengers, airport workers, other airport patrons, or ADA service animals or law enforcement or TSA canines. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this rulemaking.