Finland Deploys Coronavirus-Sniffing Dogs at Main Airport

While researchers in several countries, including Australia, France, Germany the United States, are also studying canines as coronavirus detectors, the Finnish trial is among the largest so far

Finland has deployed coronavirus-sniffing dogs at the Nordic country’s main international airport in a four-month trial of an alternative testing method that could become a cost-friendly and quick way to identify infected travelers.

Four dogs of different breeds trained by Finland’s Smell Detection Association started working Wednesday at the Helsinki Airport as part of the government-financed trial.

To read more on this story, click here: Finland Deploys Coronavirus-Sniffing Dogs at Main Airport

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Delta Will No Longer Accept Pets as Checked Baggage: Allowable Pets Can Still be Transported in Most Cabins or Via Delta Cargo

Allowable pets can still be transported in most cabins or via Delta Cargo.

Delta will no longer accept pets as checked baggage, but will continue to transport allowable pets in all cabins of service except Delta One, effective March 1, 2016. Customers may also ship pets for travel within the United States as freight through Delta Cargo.

One notable exception to this new policy: Members of the military with active transfer orders will be allowed to transport a pet as checked baggage. Additionally, Delta will continue to accept service and emotional support animals that comply with federal regulations including proper documentation.

“Many of us at Delta are pet lovers and we know that they are important members of the family,” said Bill Lentsch, Senior Vice President - Airport Customer Service and Cargo Operations. “This change will ultimately ensure that we have a high-quality, consistent service for pets when their owners choose to ship them with Delta Cargo.”

Pets that are transported via Delta Cargo are monitored closely by customer service teams during their travel. While at airports, pets are handled in temperature-controlled holding areas and vans. Also, Delta Cargo enlists professional kenneling services if overnight stays are required.

With the change effective March 1, customers will be able to travel with a pet as checked baggage through Feb. 29. Also, Delta will contact customers with bookings after March 1 that are known to include pets as checked bags.

Guidance for customers traveling with pets can be found at delta.com, but customers choosing to ship a pet with Delta Cargo should note that:

A separate booking from their flight itinerary is required.  Additional fees and charges may apply.

A pet shipped domestically via Delta Cargo cannot be booked until 14 days prior to departure.

Pets are not guaranteed to be shipped on a customer’s same flight or flight schedule.

Shipping a pet requires dropping it off at a Delta Cargo location at least three hours before departure time at a location separate from passenger check-in.

Picking up a pet will also occur at a Delta Cargo location.

Delta Cargo will only accept international pet shipments from International Pet and Animal Transportation Association members. International customers should visit ipata.org to find an approved member to assist with their transportation requirements.

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Woman Told She Can't Bring Puppy Onto Plane, Drowns it in Airport Bathroom, Authorities Claim

Grand Island, Neb. (AP) - A Florida woman is suspected of drowning a 2-week-old puppy in a Nebraska airport bathroom so she could board a plane.

Grand Island Police Sgt. Stan Steele says 56-year-old Cynthia V. Anderson of Edgewater, Florida, was denied access to a flight Friday at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport because the puppy was so young and not properly contained. Steele says she tried to conceal the Doberman in her carry-on bag.

To read more on this story, click here: Woman Told She Can't Bring Puppy Onto Plane, Drowns it in Airport Bathroom, Authorities Claim
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Have You Heard About The Worlds First Airport Terminal for Animals?

Air travel can be such a nightmare, but one airport is determined to improve the experience… for animals, that is.

John F. Kennedy Airport is set to open the first privately-owned animal terminal in the world. It will be called, naturally, The Ark.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has signed a 30-year lease deal with Ark Development, an affiliate of the real estate company Racebrook Capital, to design and build a 178,000-square-foot animal cargo facility at the Queens, New York-based airport.

The $48m project will create 180 jobs and generate $108m in revenues over its 30-year span, the organizers said.

“For the animals who [will] pass through The Ark, as well as the people who own them, air travel can be stressful and confusing,” said Cliff Bollmann, an architect at Gensler, one of the firms designing the facility. “Aligning the needs of quarantine with kennelling and elevating the experience for animals and their owners, our design team sought to create a comfortable, healthy environment for them all.”

The Ark, which is scheduled to open in the early months of 2016, will include a departure lounge with comfortable places to sit, eat and drink (Costa Coffee for critters?), individual climate-controlled bedrooms for horses and cattle, a vet, an aviary and a Paradise 4 Paws for cats and dogs.

JFK is one of the busiest airports in the world, with some 50m people a year landing and taking off from its runways.

John J. Cuticelli, Jr, the chairman of Racebrook Capital, said the concept tackles “unmet needs” of travelling companion, sporting and agricultural animals. The terminal “will set new international airport standards for comprehensive veterinary, kennelling and quarantine services.”

If only someone would think of a way to make the flying experience that pleasant for humans.

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Bomb-Sniffing Mice Are New Weapon Against Terror

Amazing bomb sniffing mice unveiled at Security Expo. These mice are capable of sniffing out a variety of explosive materials, narcotics and more. They may soon debut at airports across the globe.

When it comes to safety in the skies and the prevention of terrorist attacks, one company believes our best line of defense is a crack team of specially-trained rodents.

Yes, bomb-sniffing mice could well be the best way of tackling would-be plane bombers, according to security experts.

Forget sniffer dogs, pat-downs and X-Ray machines, these miniature creatures are said to be cheaper and much more accurate, according to New Scientist magazine.

Israeli researchers have designed a body-scanner style machine, but instead of taking an image of passengers, it conceals three teams of eight mice behind secret panels.

Air is passed over the passengers then pumped into the panels and if explosives are detected the mice run into another chamber, raising the alarm.

Rodents have a more acute sense of smell than dogs and don't rely on the same amount of treats and encouragement needed by their canine colleagues, making them less work for trainers.

In return for working two four-hour shifts a day, the rodents have comfortable cages and access to as much food and water as they want. And they can retire after 18 months.

The company behind the invention believes the mouse-powered machine could be the ultimate low-tech, low-cost answer to airport security.

And it would certainly solve the controversy surrounding full-body scanners which transmit 'naked' images to a member of the airport security team.

'Animals' noses are always a good solution, and the mice don't see you naked,' security expert Bruce Schneier told the New Scientist.

The first field test was run in a Tel Aviv shopping centre in December 2011 and the rodents picked out each of the 22 test 'bombers' who were carrying explosives.

The Israeli company hopes to find financial backing to expand the project, meaning a crack team of mice could soon be coming to an airport near you.


Bloomberg's Elliott Gotkine reports from Israel which is currently hosting a Homeland Security Conference. He speaks to Boaz Hayoun, chief executive officer of Tamar Explosives, who has developed an alternative to sniffer dogs.

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Dog Delays Flights at LaGuardia Airport

A few flights were delayed this morning when Byrdie, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, made a run for it on runway 3L at LaGuardia Airport.

The approximately 30-pound canine got loose while being loaded onto a Delta flight bound for Memphis at 10:20 a.m.

Authorities quickly escorted the owner onto the runway and the dog came running to her when it was called.

The pup was only on the tarmac for about 10 minutes and two or three flights were briefly delayed.

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