Princess Kate's brother hits out at international airline in fresh statement

The Princess of Wales's brother, 37, shared a Change.org petition asking Air France to take "accountability for negligence" with his 345,000 Instagram followers.

The petition outlines how Ramón Alberto Piriz began his journey from the UK to Argentina with his friend's dog Sombra on August 22.

Upon arrival at Heathrow Airport, Piriz was told by Air France flight attendants that his dog was too heavy to travel in the cabin and needed to be moved into the cargo.

But when he arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for their stopover, Piriz was told that Sombra was missing.

Sharing the petition on his Instagram Story, Middleton, who has six dogs and runs the pet food company James & Ella, wrote: "This is so sad.

"As someone who travels regularly, this is my worst nightmare."

The Princess of Wales's brother tagged Air France's Instagram account and reminded followers that tomorrow is International Dog Day.

The petition claims that Sombra's owner Cruz Novillo Astrada has received "no meaningful update" from Air France, which has left him in a "state of profound distress".

Acting on Astrada's behalf, the owner's friend Anastasia Saravia wrote on their Change petition: "We believe that every passenger, whether human or animal, deserves the highest standard of care when travelling.

"Sombra’s disappearance is not just a heartbreaking incident; it is a failure of the airline to fulfil its duty of care."

As such, the petition is asking for Air France to provide Astrada with "any footage, records, or communications that may shed light on what happened".

It goes on to demand that the airline launch an investigation and make its findings public.

Astrada also wants strengthened animal safety protocols, compensation for distress and for Air France to "publicly acknowledge their responsibility in this incident".

Although Sombra was last seen at Heathrow, the airport's website states: "All baggage is managed by the airlines from check-in to arrival."

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The petition currently has over 3,600 signatures and is aiming for 5,000.

Air France's customer service sent the following email to Astrada, which he shared online via screenshots: "We do not have words to express how sorry we are, our team is doing everything to bring your dog safe and sound to you."

The airline also stated in the email that it would rebook Piriz's flight without any additional fees.

GB News has contacted Air France and Heathrow for comment.