A personal tragedy at Brussels Airport on 22 July 2026 has renewed scrutiny of airlines’ duty of care when transporting live animals. Romanian-Belgian resident Camelia C. arrived from Bacău on a Dan Air flight only to receive an empty carrier; her 10-year-old Chartreux cat “Mishu” had escaped during ground-handling operations. Despite CCTV footage showing the pet jumping from a damaged cage on the tarmac, ground-handlers Aviapartner and SkyCap and the airline have offered no resolution. Brussels Airport says responsibility lies with the airline once an animal is checked into the hold, but its Customer Care team is assisting the search across sealed air-side zones. The incident has gone viral on Belgian social media, with more than 900 shares of an appeal to locate the cat. For mobility managers arranging relocations involving family pets, the case is a cautionary tale: unclear liability chains between airline and handler can leave owners with little recourse. Best practice now includes using IATA-approved reinforced crates, photographing the animal at every hand-off, and securing written confirmation of live-animal protocols from carriers and third-party handlers. Airlines flying from Brussels may also face tighter oversight; the Federal Mobility Ministry said it is reviewing compliance with EU Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on animal transport, which could lead to fines or mandatory procedure upgrades. Until then, travellers through Belgium transporting pets should build in extra check-in time and consider direct cabin carriage where weight limits allow.
Source: The Brussels Times
