A search is underway at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport after a two-year-old dog managed to escape the cargo hold of a plane because the crate used to transport the animal was not secure.
Amalka, a black mixed-breed dog, was last seen on Friday, November 22, amidst a heavy snowstorm that brought widespread disruption across France.
A search is underway for a two year old dog called Amalka which managed to escape from an Air France plane after landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport in the midst of a heavy snowstorm on Thursday. The plane had just landed from Vienna when Amalka escaped the cargo hold and ran onto the airfield.
— Matt Maszczynski (@mattmaszczynski.bsky.social) 24 November 2024 at 12:10
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Air France transported Amalka from Vienna to Paris on November 19, but as baggage handlers went to empty the cargo hold, Amalka managed to jump out and sprint across the airfield.
Despite an extensive search, Amalka remains on the loose and was last seen on November 22, again running between planes on the airfield as heavy snow carpeted Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The ‘Fly Together’ community group on Instagram has been advocating on behalf of Amalka’s owner, Míša who has launched an appeal on social media in a frantic attempt to be reunited with her beloved pet.
“Air France confirms that a dog managed to escape from its carrier cage during unloading operations AF1139 from Vienna on November 19, 2024,” the airline said in a statement.
“The animal has been seen and approached several times, but so far, it has not been possible to capture it.”
Air France says it has dedicated personnel and volunteers who are helping to search and capture Amalka. The airline has rejected accusations that it has failed to help find Amalka and says the Gendarmerie have also been called in to help locate Amalka.
The airline is one of a growing number of carriers that allows dog owners to travel with their pets in the cabin, although Air France imposes a weight limit of just 8kg on cabin pets.
Any dogs weighing between 8 and 75kg must travel in a kennel in the cargo hold.
Last week, a TAP Air Portugal plane was grounded in the Azores for several days after 130 hamsters managed to escape from a damaged cage into the cargo hold of the Airbus A321neo aircraft.
Due to the risk that the hamsters could chew through sensitive wiring, the plane had to be grounded while ground workers carried out a meticulous search to recover all of the rodents before the aircraft could be cleared to return to service.
