A Paralympic swimmer due to compete in this summer’s Olympics says his career is at risk after post-Brexit policy changes ban him from flying in and out of the UK with his guide dog.
Mar Gunnarsson, a visually impaired Icelandic national studying in Manchester, was unable to fly to the sporting championships to represent his country because his guide dog was not recognized as a service animal by British authorities.
Government restrictions, described as “ridiculous” by disability groups, also prevented him from flying back to Iceland with the dog.
Disabled passengers are prohibited from traveling to and from the UK with assistance dogs if the organization that trains them is not accredited by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Since Brexit, they have also been denied boarding unless they obtain a veterinary certificate of animal health every time they travel to the EU. These certificates replace the European Pet Passport and cost up to £200.
Gunnarsson, 24, who is also a musician, travels regularly for performances and sporting events, but said he had been grounded since February as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) tightened rules on assistance dogs .
The new requirements are based on a memorandum of understanding between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)’s Animal and Plant Health Agency and UK and EU airlines, and restrict access by members of the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) and Assistance Dogs International Organize trained dogs to enter the cabin (Adi). Previously, Civil Aviation Authority guidelines allowed airlines to carry any officially certified guide dog.
Gunnarsson’s dog, Max, is owned by the Icelandic National Institute for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Deaf, whose animals are trained by an official Swedish organization that is not contracted by either association.
A similar requirement in a European Commission regulation was scrapped in 2016 following complaints that it excluded thousands of dogs recognized by government-specified bodies.
An airline insider told the Guardian the restrictions had a huge impact on passengers and prompted hundreds of complaints.
Service dogs that are not trained by IGDF or ADI members must travel in the cargo hold and pay hefty fees, with owners also required to pay over £400 for pre-approval documents from the airport, making flights out of reach for many. Airlines from non-EU countries must seek separate permission from APHA to carry service dogs.
“Max had a certificate issued by the Icelandic government confirming his identity, but the British government ignored this,” Gunnarsson said.
“This blatant discrimination is more disabling than blindness. I have reached my limit with sighted people in positions of power putting obstacles in the way of blind people’s fight for independence. Max is my eyes, guiding me through every aspect A challenging situation that made my life easier. I refused to trade him for a randomly assigned guide dog with a bureaucratic stamp from the Redding office.
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Gunnarsson now has to catch a train to continental Europe for a transfer or flight to travel with Max, and says the extra time and cost involved is affecting his studies.
Samantha Fothergill, senior legal adviser at the Royal National Institute for Blind People, said the UK’s rules could breach equality laws. “Airlines are breaching EU air travel regulations by refusing to carry approved assistance dogs. This legislation will still apply after Brexit. We urgently need clarity from the government to airlines confirming that all approved assistance dogs can travel , including Max.
The rules were introduced to prevent non-disabled passengers from passing their pets off as assistance dogs to avoid freight charges. In the United States, disability rights legislation prohibits airlines from requiring official proof of training, which has led to widespread exploitation and put other passengers at risk.
Campaigners are calling for urgent action to agree on an internationally recognized definition of assistance dogs to prevent exclusion and confusion. The European standardization body CEN is working with disability groups to develop international training standards that any country can adopt on a voluntary basis. However, this may take years to implement.
The Civil Aviation Authority has been reviewing its new policy following lobbying from airlines. An announcement expected this month has been delayed due to the election. CAA declined to comment for the same reason.
Gunnarsson said change needs to happen quickly. “I can’t put my life on hold waiting for diplomats to review their policies,” he said. “It breaks my heart to think that I might have to give up on Max if the obstacles in our path become too difficult to overcome.”
