5 THINGS ABOUT STRANDED PETS.

1 SPLIT UP BY RULES

More than 1,000 pets are stranded worldwide by flight cancellations and border closures related to the coronavirus outbreak, according to seven international pet transport firms. Pet transportation makes up a sliver of the US$65 billion global air cargo market and many airlines offer the service solely to retain passengers.

2 FEW FLIGHTS

Only a handful of carriers, including IAG Cargo, a sister company of British Airways, still transport pets. IAG, which was quick to set up cargo-only flights on passenger aircraft, flies dogs from New York to London on a daily basis.

3

HEATHROW AT READY

London’s Heathrow Airport animal reception centre says 40 cats and dogs arrived at the airport on a single day last week. It’s one of the few global airports still handling pets. That was more than expected but still a far cry from the more than 150 pets they handled per day last year.

4 RUFF ON THE WALLET

Australian pet owners have been hit especially hard. No airline currently transports pets to the country, which has stringent regulations on animals. Pet-express is trying to fly about 20 pets there. The private company is trying to arrange a charter flight, but the logistics and costs could be prohibitive. Transporting a pet across borders costs thousands of dollars at the best of times and pet agencies said coronavirus restrictions increase the price tag further.

5 VANS TO RESCUE

Within the U.S., only American Airlines and Alaska Airlines still fly pets domestically on limited direct routes. That has been a boon to Exec Pet Transportation. Demand for the business — driving pets across the country in vans — has increased 25 per cent since flights were cancelled.