Animal-assisted therapy introduced at Nice airport to calm anxious passengers
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is trialling trained emotional support dogs in its terminal to help anxious passengers feel calmer before flying.
Nervous flyers at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport are being offered an unusual form of reassurance: trained emotional support dogs patrolling the terminal.
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One-year-old Eko, a cross between a Pyrenean mountain dog and a golden retriever, has been helping passengers manage pre-flight anxiety as part of a pilot animal-assisted therapy scheme.
Working with handler Nathalie Schindelman, Eko is trained to identify travellers who may be feeling stressed and offer comfort through gentle interaction.
Nice airport is the first in Europe to trial the service, which has already proved popular enough for officials to consider making it a regular monthly feature.
Airport representatives said the dogs help create a calmer, more cheerful atmosphere and distract passengers from the usual stresses of air travel.
Animal-assisted therapy has been growing in popularity across France, with dogs increasingly used in hospitals, care homes, prisons and schools to help reduce stress, encourage communication and support emotional wellbeing.