Istanbul Airport offers "bizarre" service to reduce passenger stress

Shafaq News / Istanbul Airport has introduced a service involving trained dogs to help calm travelers and reduce their stress.

The Turkish airport implemented this program throughout the past month to assist in alleviating anxiety among passengers passing through.

Traveler Anastasia Bodmazova praised the service, saying while petting a dog, "This relaxes me. I love animals. This is very good."

Abdulqadir Demirdash, the Customer Service Manager, stated, "Following positive feedback from passengers, the airport operating company aims to expand the project and increase the number of available dogs to reduce travelers' stress from five to ten dogs."

He added, "Travelling can be stressful... Research indicates that interaction between animals and humans reduces stress and anxiety levels."

Meanwhile, Murat Genciz Koca, a dog behavior expert and the accompanying trainer for the dogs at the airport, said, "The dogs we have chosen have undergone training for a year. They are here today because they have succeeded in their training."