Passenger and 'disruptive' pig removed from plane

And they say pigs can't fly... well this one did - almost. A passenger took a pig on a US Airways flight on Wednesday, but was asked to leave when it became disruptive.

It is believed the pig was an emotional support for the woman, who was trying to take a flight out of Connecticut.

Jonathan Skolnik, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a passenger on the flight, said he first of all thought the pig was a duffel bag.

Speaking to ABC News, he said: "But it turns out it wasn't a duffel bag. We could smell it and it was a pig on a leash."

He added: "She tethered it to the arm rest next to me and started to deal with her stuff, but the pig was walking back and forth.

"I was terrified, because I was thinking I'm gonna be on the plane with the pig."

According to the Daily Mail, in 2012 the Department of Transportation revealed certain guidelines allowing animals, including pot-bellied pigs, to be taken on flights, designated as "Emotional Support".

Pigs are favoured animals for people allergic to dogs because they are intelligent.

Monkeys and miniature horses are also allowed in some situations, although it is up to transportation officers to determine whether an animal is allowed on the plane by following a manual of guidelines.

According to cnsnews.com, the manual provides a hypothetical scenario that runs like this: "A passenger arrives at the gate accompanied by a pot-bellied pig. She claims that the pot-bellied pig is her service animal. What should you do?"

"Generally, you must permit a passenger with a disability to be accompanied by a service animal.

"However, if you have a reasonable basis for questioning whether the animal is a service animal, you may ask for some verification."

The manual adds: "If you determine that the pot-bellied pig is a service animal, you must permit the service animal to accompany the passenger to her seat provided the animal does not obstruct the aisle or present any safety issues and the animal is behaving appropriately in a public."

In this case, a spokesman confirmed to ABC that the pig was allowed on as emotional support, but the passenger - and her pig - were asked to leave when it became disruptive.

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