John Travolta’s two dogs killed at Maine airport

Avid pilot John Travolta suffered an unexpected loss early Thursday morning at Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine when a vehicle driven by an employee of the airport on the tarmac struck and killed two of the actor’s dogs.

Local paper Bangor Daily News obtained an email from Bangor Interim City Manager Bob Farrar to nine city councilmen confirming the incident, and the paper asked the airport to comment on the email. In response, the city issued this statement:

“At approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, May 13, 2010, an airplane carrying members of the John Travolta family landed at BIA. While there, two small dogs were taken for a walk by someone who is not a family member. An airport service pickup truck was approaching the airplane to service the airplane and did not see the dogs. Unfortunately, the dogs were struck and killed. The airport is investigating the accident. Out of respect for the family’s privacy the city will make no further comment.”

Airport Director Rebecca Hupp told the Bangor Daily News that strict passenger privacy policies prohibited airport officials from making any statements regarding the incident. The paper learned that Travolta’s assistant, who was walking the dogs at the time, was unhurt when the dogs died. No information is available as to what breed of dogs Travolta owned or how the incident occurred.

In 2009, Travolta’s son Jett, 16, suffered an ultimately fatal seizure while the family was vacationing in the Bahamas.