Istanbul Airport introduces therapy dogs to soothe passengers

ISTANBUL

Istanbul Airport has started the "Therapy Dog Project," the first of its kind in Türkiye, aiming to provide a peaceful and enjoyable travel experience with the support of furry companions for passengers experiencing flight-related stress.

Abdülkadir Demirtaş, the Customer Experience Manager of Istanbul Airport (İGA), stated, "With therapy dogs, we aim to provide a pleasant and stress-free travel experience at our airport."

Five specially trained therapy dogs have commenced their duties at Istanbul Airport as part of the pilot project. Accompanied by their trainers, these dogs roam the airport premises, offering support with their positive energy to passengers experiencing flight stress. During peak flight hours, the dogs are stationed at the outbound passenger area of the international terminal.

Speaking at the launch of the project, Abdülkadir Demirtaş said that Istanbul Airport, one of the world's largest global transfer hubs, hosts millions of people from many countries. "The positive effects of interaction between humans and animals on blood pressure, stress, and anxiety levels have been proven by numerous scientific studies," Demirtaş highlighted.

One of the passengers expressed satisfaction with the initiative, stating, "It's a great practice, and we want more of it. It's nice that they are trained."

At Istanbul Airport, there are also a total of four pet rooms catering to the needs of traveling animals, located at the departure passenger island counters, two after passport control, and one at the arrival passenger greeting floor.