Here's the full story of the Air Canada pilot who is being praised for making a decision that delayed an international flight for more than an hour and cost the airline more than $10,000 in fuel and landing charges – all to save a dog’s life!
Simba, a 7-year old French Bulldog, was on board for his first ever flight, in the plane’s cargo hold, when the pilot noticed that the airplane’s heating system had malfunctioned just before the flight reached the Atlantic Ocean, where temperatures would plummet.
Without second thought, the pilot turned the plane, which was bound for Toronto from Tel Aviv, and landed in Frankfurt, Germany instead.
The dog’s owner was more than grateful.
“It’s my dog, it’s like my child. It’s everything to me,” he said after they were reunited at Pearson Airport.
Aviation expert Phyl Durby said the pilot made the right call, despite tacking on about $10,000 in fuel costs and delaying the flight by 75 minutes.
“If you look at the outside temperature, if it’s minus 50 or 60, there is some insulation but it will probably still get down to below freezing (in the cargo area),” Durby said.
“The captain is responsible for all lives on board, whether it’s human or K-9.”
Check out the video below:
