Air New Zealand apologizes for cat's misadventure Promises full compensation

In its article, Sky News highlights that Air New Zealand has apologized for a significant error in transporting a cat, which was mistakenly left on a plane and flown back to New Zealand. 

A family's relocation from New Zealand to Australia took a disastrous turn when they discovered their cat had been left behind on the plane and flown back to New Zealand.

Mittens, an eight-year-old Maine Coon cat, was scheduled for a one-way flight from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Melbourne, Australia, on January 13.

Upon arriving in Melbourne, Mittens was supposed to be removed from the cargo hold, but after waiting for three hours, her owner, Margo Neas, said there was no sign of the cat. 

It was then that ground staff informed Ms. Neas that the plane had returned to New Zealand with Mittens still aboard. The flight back took about seven and a half hours.

"I said, 'how can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God'," Ms Neas said.

"It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn't have the family, we weren't complete."

The Air New Zealand pilot was informed about Mittens being onboard while mid-flight, and as a result, the heating in the cargo hold was turned on to keep her comfortable, according to Ms. Neas. 

She was later told that a wheelchair stowed in the hold had blocked the baggage handler's view of Mittens's crate.

Upon landing back in Christchurch, Mittens was greeted by the company Ms. Neas had hired to handle the cat's transfer, and they made sure she was safely placed on a plane back to Melbourne to reunite with her family. 

Although Mittens had lost some weight, she was otherwise unharmed.

"She basically ran straight into my arms, snuggled up, and gave me the biggest cuddles ever," said Ms. Neas. "It was such a relief."

Air New Zealand issued an apology for the mistake and stated that it would refund all expenses related to the animal's travel, as mentioned in a statement from the airline.

"We'll work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesn't happen again," said spokesperson Alisha Armstrong.

Meanwhile Mittens, not usually an affectionate pet, is "the cuddliest she's ever been", said Ms Neas.

"The cat gets as much attention as she wants right now because we're just so absolutely and utterly relieved to have her back."

By Naila Huseynova