Kochi Airport Welcomes Eva, First Pet Passenger To Fly From Abroad (image:x.com/KochiAirport/)
Kochi: A pet cat named Eva became the first animal to be brought to the Cochin International Airport Ltd. (CIAL) under the new Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) certification. A one-year-old mixed-breed female cat arrived safely from Doha to Kochi on Air India flight AI 954 on Thursday.
The cat belongs to K. A. Ramachandran, and he brought the animal from Doha in Qatar. Ramachandran, an automobile mechanic by profession, originally hails from Chelakkara in the Thrissur district. He returned to Kerala after spending 34 years in Qatar. He says that his son Rineesh, who is also employed in Doha, urged that he take Eva along on his return, The Hindu reports.
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‘Eva’ enjoys stardom as the first pet imported to CIAL!🐾🐱🛬
Eva, the 1 year old mixed breed cat became the first pet to fly from abroad to CIAL 🛬. She arrived in Air India’s Doha – Cochin flight AI 954, this morning. 😻😸#cial #CochinAirport #petimport #PetExport #AirIndia pic.twitter.com/6IU2d6JwI5
— Cochin International Airport (@KochiAirport) November 28, 2024
“She was found abandoned near our apartment in Doha a year ago. I took the kitten to my flat and nurtured it. Soon, she became a member of my flat, where she remained in my room. She eats only cooked fish and chicken. Veterinary doctors believe that Eva belongs to a Turkish breed. When I decided to return to Kerala, I could not leave Eva orphaned again in Doha,” the Indian Express reports Ramachandran saying.
A Lhasa Apso breed puppy named Luka became the first pet to fly internationally from the CIAL airport. In June, the pet flew from Kochi to Dubai via Doha, and the pet cargo was handled by Qatar Airways.
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The CIAL introduced the pet export facility in July this year. It is the only airport in Kerala with transportation of pets and the seventh airport in the country that offers pet import-export services. The animal quarantine certification is essential to make sure that there is no spread of exotic diseases.
The airport has set up a number of facilities, including a vet on call, the 24-hour air-conditioned pet station, a special cargo station, a dedicated section to handle animals, and a customs clearance centre.
