A pet dog died on Korean Air flight KE868 from Guangzhou to Incheon on Sept 7, 2024. The owner demands full transport records. Compensation may follow Montreal Convention rules (~RMB 14,000) unless negligence is proven.
Tags:Source: OT-Team(G), 大韩航空, 南方都市报
Korean Air has issued a statement after a pet dog died while being transported on its KE868 flight from Guangzhou to Incheon, prompting questions from the dog’s owner over what happened during the journey.
On Sept. 7, Korean Air said the dog was found with no signs of life inside its transport crate after KE868 arrived at Incheon International Airport.
The airline said other pets were also carried on the same flight and all arrived safely. No health abnormalities have been identified among the other animals transported that day.
Korean Air said it would remain in communication with the passenger involved and provide updates once the circumstances surrounding the incident have been further confirmed.
Owner Demands Full Transport Records
The incident drew public attention after the dog’s owner posted about it on social media on Sept. 4.
According to the post, the owner had been traveling on Korean Air and entrusted the airline with their dog, which had been a companion for five years. After the flight landed, the owner said they were unable to locate the dog for nearly two hours. When they finally saw the dog again, it had already died.
The owner questioned what had happened during those two hours, including where the dog had been, who had handled it, when any abnormality was first detected and whether it had shown any signs of life.
Following Korean Air’s statement on Sept. 7, the owner responded on social media, saying they would not accept any conclusion attributing the death to the dog itself without evidence.
The owner said their request had remained the same from the beginning: to receive complete and substantive evidence covering the dog’s entire transportation process, so that the facts could establish what had actually happened.
What Can Passengers Do If a Pet Dies During Air Transport?
Lawyers advise passengers to first preserve all relevant documents and evidence, including flight records, pet transportation receipts and quarantine certificates. If an airline refuses to provide surveillance footage, handover records or other transportation data, passengers can request that regulators or a court obtain the evidence during a complaint or legal proceeding.
If possible, the pet’s remains should also be preserved and examined by a qualified professional to determine the cause of death. Such evidence can be important in establishing responsibility and seeking compensation.
Passengers may seek compensation for the pet’s reasonable market value, transportation fees and other reasonable expenses related to the incident. Under the Montreal Convention, the current liability limit for checked baggage on international flights is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) per passenger, roughly RMB 14,000, although the amount fluctuates with the SDR exchange rate.
However, the limit may not apply if intentional misconduct or gross negligence by the airline can be established, such as improper handling or failure to follow required procedures for transporting live animals. In domestic Chinese court proceedings, passengers may also seek appropriate compensation for emotional distress, depending on the circumstances.
A full refund of the passenger’s business-class airfare would generally not be available because the passenger completed the flight, although the pet transportation fee may potentially be refunded.
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