An autistic woman has hit out at Aer Lingus after being forced to scrap a dream holiday because the airline prohibited her assistance dog from flying.
Sancha Talbot, from Northern Ireland, forked out £5,600 on a trip to Crete scheduled for June, making sure to arrange special travel plans for her beloved border collie, Skye.
But, despite holding full training certificates, Skye was grounded because the Irish airline refused to recognise the paperwork.
To travel in the cabin, Aer Lingus requires service dogs to be certified by a training organisation affiliated with either Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF).
Although Skye holds legitimate credentials, her training was completed at private institutions in the Lisburn area that failed to meet Aer Lingus’ criteria.
As a result, the airline denied the border collie permission to fly, forcing Sancha to cancel her planned getaway altogether.
Sharing her ordeal with the News Letter, she said: ‘For people like me, assistance dogs are not optional. They are essential for safety, independence, and the ability to travel at all.’
According to Sancha, other airlines have accepted Skye’s training certification in the past, though she noted none of those carriers offered practical routes to Crete.
Sancha Talbot, from Northern Ireland, was forced to cancel a dream trip to Crete after Aer Lingus denied travel for her assistance dog Skye
Pictured: Sancha’s assistance dog, border collie Skye
Fortunately, travelling abroad by ferry has never posed a problem for the pooch.
She recounted: ‘We’d explained from the start that her training was not from a charity, we raised it with the travel agent.
‘I even forwarded an email from her trainer saying he’d known her since she was a young dog and she’d never presented any trouble.’
Sancha was left scratching her head further when she discovered Skye’s documentation had been accepted in Crete, yet rejected by the airline.
She added: ‘When I heard they weren’t accepting it I thought, well, I don’t know what else they’re looking for – I can’t get anything else.’
Sancha, who had spent a year planning her dream holiday, described the refusal as a ‘huge blow’.
In a last-ditch effort to ensure the pooch could fly, she contacted the airline and offered to muzzle Skye for the entire journey, which she’d done previously during a trip to Spain, though this was also refused.
Sancha is now urging airlines to show greater consideration for passengers who require special assistance.
She said: ‘This raises urgent concerns about how airlines assess and recognise assistance dogs, particularly those trained outside a narrow set of organisations.
‘Many disabled people across Northern Ireland rely on assistance animals trained to high standards, yet risk being excluded due to inconsistent or unclear airline policies.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Aer Lingus for comment.
Over the last decade, the aviation industry has made major strides in improving accessibility for passengers with special needs – particularly those with hidden disabilities such as autism.
Airports around the world are introducing sensory rooms and quiet spaces, alongside specialised staff training to better support passengers with non-visible disabilities.
Many airports and airlines, including British Airways and Aer Lingus, also recognise the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard scheme, offering priority access and additional assistance where needed.
Now, ahead of the busy summer season, Virgin Atlantic is taking further steps to support neurodivergent travellers by training all cabin crew on how to assist passengers with autism and their families.
The airline is partnering with Autism Double-Checked, an organisation that helps travel companies become more autism-friendly, with the programme set to be incorporated into Virgin Atlantic’s annual training.
The training includes digital modules on understanding autism, recognising signs of when a passenger is in distress or overwhelmed, adapting communication styles and offering reassurance to passengers and families.
