Exclusive: All pet casualties on passenger flights occurred on Korean Air: lawmaker

Every pet casualty recorded on passenger flights over the past five years among South Korea's 11 domestic carriers occurred on Korean Air, according to data released Saturday.

The figures were contained in a report on pet boarding and transport regulations that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport submitted to National Assembly lawmaker Jang Gyeong-tae of the Land and Infrastructure Committee. The data covered the period from 2022 through August and showed that all pet-related casualties across the country's 11 carriers — including low-cost airlines — took place on Korean Air.

A total of 27 incidents were recorded during the period: 10 deaths and 17 cases of cage damage caused by animals moving violently. Of the 10 deaths, two occurred in the cabin and eight in the cargo hold.

According to Korean Air, 23 of the 25 incidents involving pets transported as cargo occurred when the animals were carried as checked baggage. Among the 11 carriers, five — Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Air Busan, Jin Air and Air Premia (international routes only) — offer checked-baggage pet transport. Korean Air is also the only carrier among the 11 that offers transport of dogs and cats as separate air cargo.

Jang's office said the accident rate remains high even when accounting for the volume of pets transported. Korean Air handled 259,984 pet transport cases from 2022 through August, the most among the 11 domestic carriers. Trinity Airways ranked second with 137,671 cases and Asiana Airlines third with 127,243, giving the two a combined total of 264,914 — more than Korean Air — yet neither recorded a single pet casualty.

Pets are believed to have been exposed to severe stress during boarding or transport — enough to cause death or the violent movement that damaged cages. Korean Air told the ministry that "there were no abnormalities in temperature or ventilation systems." Each airline may set its own animal air-transport guidelines in accordance with the International Air Transport Association's live animal regulations.

"As Korean Air prepares for its merger, it must take seriously the fact that it is the only carrier where pet transport casualties have occurred, and move swiftly to conduct a thorough review and improvement of its overall transport conditions," Jang said.