Air Canada pilot diverts flight to save dog from freezing
File photo courtesy: Wikipedia
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, September 16, 2015, 3:36 PM - An Air Canada pilot has saved a dog’s life by diverting a Tel Aviv flight bound for Toronto when the heating system in the plane's cargo area malfunctioned.
The pilot noticed the problem as the plane was about the head over the Atlantic Ocean, an area where temperatures drop.
Simba, a seven-year-old French bulldog, was on board and the pilot realized the dog might not survive.
The decision was then made to land the plane in Frankfurt, Germany.
Simba's owner was grateful, according to CityTV.
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“It’s my dog, it’s like my child. It’s everything to me,” he told reporters when the two were reunited at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The decision to divert the flight added about $10,000 in extra fuel costs and delayed the journey by about 75 minutes, but aviation experts say it was the right call.
“The captain is responsible for all lives on board, whether it’s human or K-9,” aviation expert Phyl Durby told CityTV.
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Source: CityTV
