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Delta defiant about not letting pit bulls on board planes

FILE - In this April 20, 2010 file photo, Delta Air Lines jets are parked at John F. Kennedy International Airport, in New York. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will issue a new policy directive under a settlement agreement that states airline passengers are not required to consent to document checks. The settlement comes in a lawsuit filed by passengers aboard a Delta flight from San Francisco to New York’s Kennedy Airport in February 2017 who were met by CBP officers and forced to hand over identification as they deplaned. It was just a few weeks after President Donald Trump’s first travel ban. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) Mark Lennihan / AP, File

By The Associated Press

1 minute to read

Pit bulls still aren’t welcome on Delta Air Lines.

Delta says it hasn’t figured out how to ensure passengers’ safety around pits bulls, so it’s continuing a ban it imposed last year.

The decision seems contrary to recent guidance from the federal government. The Transportation Department said in August that it thinks banning specific breeds is a violation of regulations covering service animals.

Delta says it had more than 40 cases of aggressive animal behavior on planes last year. A Delta passenger was mauled badly in 2017, although the dog was a lab-pointer mix.

Kitty Block, president of the Humane Society of the United States, calls the ban discriminatory and misguided. The American Veterinary Medical Association says any dog can bite, and regulations aimed at specific breeds aren’t effective.