On December 2, 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation
("DOT") announced its final rule revising its Air Carrier
Access Act ("ACAA") regulation on the transportation of
service animals by air.1 The final rule constitutes
significant changes to the ACAA regulations regarding the
transportation of service animals. Significantly, the final rule
restricts the types of service animals allowed on U.S. flights to
dogs and frees airlines from having to accommodate a variety of
emotional support animals. However, the rule does not bar emotional
support animals from traveling in passenger cabins.
Prior to the issuance of the final rule, the DOT published an
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled "Traveling by Air
with Service Animals" on May 23, 2018. On February 5, 2020,
the DOT issued a Notice of a Proposed Rulemaking providing notice
of a proposed rule amending its ACAA regulation on the
transportation of service animals by air.2 The DOT then
received more than
