CHARTER FLIGHT FOR COMPANION DOGS

[Anchor Lead]

Some delightful news for our four-legged friends and pet owners. A charter flight for companion animals has been introduced in Korea for the first time, where pets can sit right next to their owners for travelling.

[Pkg]

Riding this plane bound for Jeju is a dog seated right next to its owner. This charter flight is for passengers accompanied by their pets. After disembarking the plane, the dogs are either placed in strollers or carried by their owners, just like they do on regular daily outings. Traveling to Jeju is even more fun for pet owners, because now their canine companions are allowed to fly with them.

[Soundbite] Ahn Eun-saem(Goyang resident) : "I had never imagined traveling by plane with my dog because of his weight. But now I have achieved my dream."

On this day, some 30 passengers and 18 pet dogs took the flight. They had their first meal on the resort island together and strolled along stone walls to enjoy spring.

[Soundbite] Ok Kyung-ah(Seoul resident) : "Many people have companion animals now. I hope there will be more travel packages and transportation means for travelers with pets."

As more and more people have pets these days, the demand for travel along with companion animals is expected to rise further. As soon as the first charter flight for companion animals was released, it was booked up in no time. The Korea Tourism Organization and the tourism sector plan to survey infrastructure for travel with companion animals and develop relevant products and services.