Flight Disruptions Caused by Animals – Can You Claim Compensations?

There is silver lining for passengers of disrupted flights – to avoid compensation claims, the air carrier must prove that the extraordinary circumstance could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. As the “reasonable measures” concept is a little vague, each similar case would be looked at individually. I took a dive into documented cases where flights were delayed or cancelled because of animals, and here are some interesting ones:

Turtles on the Runway

Turtles on the runway at JFK Airport have become a common sight, particularly Diamondback Terrapin turtles. Each year, these turtles move from Jamaica Bay to lay their eggs at the end of the runway, causing flight delays and requiring intervention from wildlife teams. Hundreds of female terrapins make their way to JFK once per year, and when they are spotted on the runway, flights must be halted until they can be safely relocated outside of the area of the airport.

Loose Dog on a Tarmac

In 2011, an incident happened at Manchester airport. During their regular walk, a dog escaped from the owner and ran onto the runway. Security had to stop operations immediately and activate security protocols, resulting in multiple aircraft delays. They looked for the dog and took nearly an hour to locate and safely move the animal away from the runway.

Ants in Business Class

On an Air India flight from Delhi to London, in September 2021, a colony of ants was discovered in business class. The ants incident occurred shortly before the flight’s scheduled departure time, and the airline decided that it would be best to change the aircraft to ensure passengers’ comfort. This resulted in a delay of over three hours long.

Bird on a Plane

A bird got on a United Airlines flight from Maui to Newark and was only found right before the takeoff. To encourage the bird to leave the aircraft, as it was in the cabin, captain asked everyone to close their window blinds and switch off the lights, so the bird would fly towards the only source of light which was outside through the open door. This strategy worked and shortly after the bird escaped, the plane took off.

Cicadas in the Engine

During a White House press charter flight in 2021, cicadas invaded the engine of the plane, causing mechanical problems and resulting in significant delays. The flight was intended to transport journalists for a high-profile assignment. The airline had to find an alternative aircraft for the passengers, resulting in several hours of delay before the journalists could continue their journey.

Mice on Board

A British Airways flight going from London to San Francisco was preparing for departure, when one of the seated passengers noticed a mouse running near a door. The crew informed everyone they cannot continue to take off with a mouse onboard due to safety concerns, and the airline started looking for a replacement aircraft. This incident caused a four-hour delay and resulted in total cost of around £250 000, including compensations for delayed passengers, meals provided during the wait, and potential accommodations for missed connections.

Bat on a Plane

In May 2021, approximately thirty minutes after taking off, crew members noticed a bat inside the cabin. The plane was going from Delhi to Newark and had to divert back  to Delhi due to safety concerns, after getting a permission from air traffic control. Upon landing, a wild animal company was called to handle the situation, and the plane had to be fumigated for further use. Passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft and were on the way to Newark again.

To Compensate or Not To Compensate?

As seen from some of the cases mentioned earlier, it does not seem straightforward whether these incidents could have been avoided or not. Here we need to refer again to the “measures” concept. The measures that must be taken must qualify as “reasonable” and are such measures that are likely to reduce or even prevent the risk of the extraordinary event. The line here is not clear. What is “reasonable” and how is it defined? What measure is considered relevant? Who decides on it?

It’s very easy to get overwhelmed, and decide not to claim any compensation, even if your flight was delayed by a lot. Let us worry about whether a specific case is claimable or not. We encourage you to contact us – Skycop can help you get compensated if your flight is disrupted. Even due to any kind of animal on-board, on the runway or anywhere else.

Safe travels!