This US airport has employed llamas, alpacas to alleviate travel anxiety

In a bid to reduce the stresses of air travel, Portland International Airport (PDX) has introduced an unusual therapy program involving llamas and alpacas. Working in collaboration with Mountain Peaks Therapy, a Washington-based farm, the airport brings in these gentle animals every few weeks to provide comfort and relieve passenger anxiety. This initiative represents one of several strategies PDX has adopted to address travel-related stress, according to NPR.

Mountain Peaks Therapy, located in Ridgefield, Washington, supplies five llamas and six alpacas to Portland International Airport. Each animal is trained and certified for therapeutic interactions, allowing them to work with both the public and specific audiences in need of calm companionship. The farm charges approximately $650 per animal, per hour, for such sessions. The organisation describes its work as especially effective in stressful environments, which makes the airport setting ideal for this innovative approach.

The concept of animal-assisted therapy is not new. Research from various institutions, including UCLA Health, has shown that interacting with animals can lower stress levels and release mood-enhancing hormones, providing a positive diversion from anxiety or worry. Although the most common therapy animals in public spaces are dogs—now featured in airports like London Stansted and Istanbul—the use of llamas and alpacas remains relatively rare.

Speaking to NPR, Allison Ferre, spokesperson for the Port of Portland, emphasised that PDX’s therapy animal program is a small part of their broader efforts to mitigate the challenges of modern air travel. The airport has even remodelled parts of its infrastructure to include natural features like trees to help create a soothing environment.