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SINGAPORE: When Ms Gwenda Phillips relocated from Singapore to Hong Kong in March last year, she paid just over US$30,000 for herself, her sister-in-law and their four cats to board a private flight.<\/p>\n
The alternative \u2013 checking the animals into cargo \u2013 was never a consideration.<\/p>\n
“You would never put your children in the cargo hold. For animals, it\u2019s even more inhumane as they can\u2019t speak and have no concept of time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Philips flew with SingaPaw Air, which bills itself as Singapore\u2019s first airline catering fully to pets. On its flights, animals roam the cabin freely, sit beside their owners and are offered meal options, much like any other passenger.<\/p>\n
The airline occupies a niche that its founder Jamie Wong said has no direct equivalent in the region, although similar services operate in the United States, Europe and Australia. Its clientele ranges from owners relocating across borders to those taking their pets on holiday.<\/p>\n
Mr Wong told CNA he started the airline after encountering a personal problem. As Singapore emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, he wanted to travel overseas with his three dogs and five cats, but ran into size restrictions and cargo requirements on commercial flights.<\/p>\n
Having an existing interest in aviation, Mr Wong decided to combine the two and launched SingaPaw Air three years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe actually started the first year pretty slowly,\u201d he said, adding that many potential clients held back to see how things went before committing to a booking. Business has since picked up, with almost 10 flights booked as of February this year.<\/p>\n
Mr Wong said SingaPaw Air imposes no size restrictions on animals, which are typically cats and dogs. The largest canine passenger to date was a Great Dane.<\/p>\n
The airline also accepts breeds banned from cargo on most commercial carriers. Many airlines prohibit brachycephalic breeds, dogs with shortened snouts such as French bulldogs and chow chows, because of a higher risk of respiratory distress in the hold.<\/p>\n
The number of passengers bringing pets on charter flights has risen noticeably in recent years, said Ms Lesley Ann Chai, charter director of Air 7 Asia, which provides most of the aircraft used by SingaPaw Air.<\/p>\n
“Out of 10 flights that are booked, one or two of them have pets on board. Before that, there used to be none,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you fly commercial, you have to put your pets in cargo. You don’t get to be with your pet, and being separated and put in a dark space at the bottom of the aircraft is not very comforting for an owner.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n