For Aurélie Panneels, a 29-year-old Brussels resident, what began as a routine trip from Nice to Brussels on October 30 turned into a heartbreaking nightmare. The young woman had traveled with her two cats, Raja and his younger brother Safir, before. But this time, something went terribly wrong. During the 1.5‑hour flight, Raja was found dead in the cargo hold of the Brussels Airlines aircraft, leaving his owner devastated and searching for answers.
"'D'habitude, ils voyagent toujours avec moi en cabine. Mais en trois ans, ils ont un peu grossi. Je n'avais donc pas d'autre choix que de les faire voyager en soute,'" Aurélie explained. The cats, who had always traveled in the cabin with her, had grown over the years. Raja, at 3 years old, and his 8‑month‑old brother Safir, together exceeded the 8‑kilogram weight limit for animals in cabin on Brussels Airlines. This forced Aurélie to place them in the cargo hold for the first time, a decision she now regrets with every fiber of her being.
Upon arrival in Brussels, Aurélie rushed to retrieve her cats from the cargo hold. What she found was unimaginable. Raja, her beloved 3‑year‑old companion, was dead. The tragedy was compounded by the condition of Safir, who was alive but clearly unwell after losing his brother and constant companion.
The lack of communication and transparency only added to her distress.
"'Il n'y avait personne au comptoir. Il fallait appeler un numéro. Je l'ai fait au moins quinze fois. Mais on me donnait à chaque fois une version différente (...) Mon inquiétude grandissait,'" Aurélie recounted. In the days following the incident, she made 15 desperate calls to Brussels Airlines seeking information about what had happened to her cats. Each time, she received different versions of events, with no clear explanation for Raja's death. The lack of communication and transparency only added to her distress.
The emotional toll of losing Raja has been immense for both Aurélie and Safir. "'Il n'a jamais été seul. Ils étaient toujours ensemble. Maintenant, il a perdu son frère (...). Il est complètement perdu,'" Aurélie said, describing how the cats had never been separated before. The sudden loss of his brother has left Safir completely disoriented, while Aurélie struggles to come to terms with the tragedy. "'Ça n'a fait qu'un tour dans ma tête, je me suis effondrée,'" she recalled of the moment she discovered Raja's lifeless body.
Brussels Airlines has confirmed that it is conducting an investigation into the incident that claimed Raja's life. The airline has not yet provided a detailed explanation of what went wrong during the transportation of the cats, leaving Aurélie and other pet owners concerned about the safety of animals traveling in cargo holds. The investigation aims to determine the circumstances surrounding Raja's death and whether proper procedures were followed.
As the investigation continues, Aurélie remains without clear answers from Brussels Airlines. The tragic incident has raised broader questions about airlines' policies and procedures for transporting animals in cargo holds, particularly regarding weight limits and the availability of veterinary care during flights. For Aurélie, the loss of Raja represents not just the death of a beloved pet, but a failure in the system designed to protect animals during air travel.
