KLM has become the first airline in the world to be held liable for a six-hour flight delay. By a dog, that is, the Telegraaf has reported..

An Israeli passenger is claiming €400 compensation for herself and has made a separate €400 claim for her dog Tony for the delay prior to a KLM flight several weeks ago from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam.

The unnamed passenger said technical defects had kept the plane on the ground for six hours prior to departure and that Tony nearly died from exposure to the burning sun.

It was only after an urgent appeal to ground staff by his owner that Tony was moved out of the sun, said Victor Loonstein of airline delay specialists Claim4U of Amsterdam which is handling the case. He said the dog suffered more than a human passenger.

KLM said it would not comment on the case until it was lodged officially. ‘We take every case seriously, including this one,’ a spokesman said.