Paris – Two runways were closed at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport on Tuesday as officials intensified efforts to capture a dog that escaped from an aircraft a week ago.
The female dog, which belongs to a Croatian tourist who had traveled to France from Vienna on an Air France flight, slipped out of her carrier cage during an unloading operation on the previous Tuesday. Since then, airport authorities have launched a widespread search to capture the elusive pet.
The closures occurred as part of the ongoing operation to safely capture the animal, which has been spotted several times but has eluded capture.
Airport police deployed a search drone to assist in locating the dog, which has been seen near runways and terminals.
The closures were carefully coordinated during off-peak hours, in an effort to minimize disruption to scheduled flights, which are a key consideration at one of Europe’s busiest airports.
“Efforts to locate the animal have been ongoing since it escaped last Tuesday,” an Air France spokesperson confirmed. “The animal has been spotted and approached on several occasions, but it has not been captured yet.”
According to airport officials, the plan is to get close enough to the dog to tranquilize it with a hypodermic needle. However, capturing the animal alive has proven difficult due to the busy airport environment and the dog’s ability to evade capture.
Search parties have been working around the clock to find the animal, including night searches and coordinated efforts involving the pet’s owner.
The Croatian tourist, who is staying at a hotel near Charles-de-Gaulle, is being supported by Air France, which is covering the cost of the accommodation.
Airport staff have been briefed on the situation, and posters have been put up throughout the airport to alert staff to the presence of the dog.
While the animal has managed to avoid capture, airport officials remain optimistic that it will be safely retrieved.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of the dog and passengers. The closures of the runways were necessary to avoid any impact on scheduled flights while we continue our search,” said an airport representative.
The escape of the dog at such a high-traffic airport has sparked considerable attention, as Charles-de-Gaulle competes with Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for the title of the busiest airport in the European Union.
In addition to the significant logistics involved in securing the airport’s operations, the authorities must also contend with the challenges of capturing an animal in a large, busy environment.
As the search continues, officials are urging patience from travelers, while Air France reassures passengers that the temporary closures of the runways will not affect the majority of flights. The situation remains fluid, but authorities are hopeful that the dog will soon be captured and reunited with its owner.
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