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Title 49 — TransportationRelease 119-73

§41721 Reports by carriers on incidents involving animals during air transport

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART A— - AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY › Subpart subpart ii— - economic regulation › Chapter CHAPTER 417— - OPERATIONS OF CARRIERS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - REQUIREMENTS › § 41721

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Air carriers that fly scheduled passenger routes must send the Transportation Secretary a monthly report whenever an animal is lost, hurt, or dies while in the carrier’s care. The Transportation Secretary sets the report format and what must be included. The Secretary must also work with carriers to improve employee training and passenger notices, make an agreement with the Agriculture Secretary to share the information, and publish the incident and complaint data like other consumer complaint data. "Air transport" here means the whole time the carrier has the animal, from check-in before departure until it is returned to the owner at the final destination.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §41721

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)An air carrier that provides scheduled passenger air transportation shall submit monthly to the Secretary a report on any incidents involving the loss, injury, or death of an animal (as defined by the Secretary of Transportation) during air transport provided by the air carrier. The report shall be in such form and contain such information as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(b)The Secretary shall work with air carriers to improve the training of employees with respect to the air transport of animals and the notification of passengers of the conditions under which the air transport of animals is conducted.
(c)The Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to ensure the sharing of information that the Secretary receives under subsection (a).
(d)The Secretary shall publish data on incidents and complaints involving the loss, injury, or death of an animal during air transport in a manner comparable to other consumer complaint and incident data.
(e)For purposes of this section, the air transport of an animal includes the entire period during which an animal is in the custody of an air carrier, from check-in of the animal prior to departure until the animal is returned to the owner or guardian of the animal at the final destination of the animal.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1999, see section 3 of Pub. L. 106–181, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2000

Amendments

note under section 106 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 41721

Title 49 — Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73