IATA moves to take guesswork out of flying with pets

Airlines have been urged to give passengers clearer and more consistent information about travelling with pets, from the moment a flight is booked until the animal passes through customs at its destination. New operational guidelines from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) cover every stage of in-cabin pet travel, including reservations, documentation, check-in, security screening, boarding, the flight itself, connections and arrival. They also address what should happen when journeys are disrupted or an animal is refused entry at the border. The guidance follows IATA’s recently published recommendations on travelling with service dogs and reflects a broader attempt to remove the uncertainty surrounding the transport of animals by air. That uncertainty remains considerable, according to the association’s research. IATA’s 2025 Global Passenger Survey found that about one in four respondents had travelled, or would consider travelling, with a pet. Of those, 41 per cent cited uncertainty over whether their animal would be eligible, while 36 per cent were unclear about airline policies and 34 per cent did not understand the overall process. For IATA Global Head of Cargo Brendan Sullivan, clearer preparation is as important for the animal as it is for the passenger. “A pet is a much-loved member of the family. People traveling with their pets need clear guidance on what to expect at every step of the journey. That’s important because well-prepared travelers and industry-wide best practices enable airlines to deliver a safe, consistent, and efficient experience for those traveling with their pets,” he said. The central message is that uncertainty should be addressed before the passenger reaches the airport. Airlines should therefore publish easily accessible policies explaining which animals they accept, what restrictions apply, how much the service costs and which type of travel container must be used. Those policies should also reflect the requirements of the countries of departure, transit and arrival. Otherwise, a pet accepted by an airline at the beginning of a journey could face difficulties during a connection or be refused entry at its destination. Although the final decision remains with each carrier, cats and dogs may be accepted in the cabin when they meet IATA’s Live Animals Regulations. Other animals may also be allowed if they satisfy the same container requirements and the airline agrees to carry them. Eligibility, however, can also depend on the aircraft being used. Under-seat space varies between aircraft types, meaning a carrier that fits safely on one flight may not be suitable on another. IATA therefore wants passengers to be informed about those limitations at the booking stage rather than discovering them at the departure gate. In most cases, an in-cabin pet reservation should be made at least 48 to 72 hours before departure, with any applicable charge disclosed clearly. Travellers should also be warned that some travel agencies and flight-comparison platforms cannot process pet bookings, requiring them to contact the airline directly. To prevent information from being lost between airline systems, IATA recommends using the industry’s PETC special-service code to register a pet travelling in the cabin. This becomes particularly important when a journey involves more than one carrier, as every airline must agree in advance to accept the animal and apply compatible procedures. Once the reservation has been confirmed, attention turns to preparation. Passengers may need to provide details about the animal and its container, along with airline forms, health certificates, vaccination records and import permits. While airlines are responsible for communicating their requirements clearly, compliance ultimately remains the passenger’s responsibility. They should also help owners prepare the animal for the journey by providing advice on how to familiarise it with its container, what to expect at check-in and how it must behave onboard. Passengers should be encouraged to arrive early and investigate whether pet relief areas are available at the departure airport and during any connections. At the same time, the guidelines make clear that sedation should be discouraged unless prescribed by a veterinarian. If a sedative, tranquilliser or other psychoactive medication has been administered, the owner may need to produce veterinary documentation or a record detailing the treatment. Preparation is followed by a more detailed assessment at the airport. During check-in, trained staff should confirm the pet’s complete itinerary and the owner’s contact details before checking all documents required for the journey. They should also verify the animal’s age and species and assess whether it appears healthy, responsive and fit to travel. The container is equally important. It must allow the animal to stand, sit upright, lie in a natural position and turn around normally, while also complying with the dimensions and safety requirements imposed by the airline. If the pet appears unwell, distressed, excessively lethargic or displays unacceptable behaviour, it should not be cleared for travel. The same applies when the container is unsuitable, meaning boarding must be refused when the requirements are not met. Even after check-in, the animal and its container remain subject to security controls. These differ between airports and may involve visual inspection, physical examination, metal detection, X-ray screening or explosive-trace detection. In some jurisdictions, passengers will be asked to remove the animal so that the pet and carrier can be screened separately. A further check should then take place at the boarding gate, where staff must ensure that both soft and rigid carriers are secure, adequately ventilated and suitable for the aircraft. Where under-seat stowage is permitted, the container must fit completely beneath the seat in front without restricting ventilation or compromising the animal’s welfare. Cabin crew should meanwhile be informed before boarding that a pet will be travelling on the flight. This allows them to verify the seating arrangements, monitor the animal and respond to concerns involving allergies, phobias or other passenger sensitivities. Ground staff and cabin crew should also visually assess the pet during boarding to make sure it appears healthy, calm and securely contained. If a problem is identified, the passenger should be helped to resolve it before departure. Where that is not possible, the animal may still be denied boarding. Once onboard, the pet should remain inside its container throughout the flight. The carrier must be safely stowed during taxiing, take-off, landing and turbulence, while crew members should be trained in pet-related hygiene, accepted container dimensions and the under-seat space available across the airline’s fleet. The flight itself is only one part of the journey. Connections can be equally challenging, particularly because pet facilities differ considerably between airports. Some provide indoor relief stations beyond security, others have only outdoor areas before check-in, while many offer no designated facilities at all. Airlines are not responsible for airport infrastructure, but IATA wants them to communicate what is available and advise passengers to research every transit point in advance. This is especially important during long layovers or journeys involving several flights. Arrival does not necessarily bring the process to an immediate end. Depending on the destination, passengers may be asked to remain onboard until permission to disembark has been granted and then present the pet at a manned customs office or veterinary border-control point. Officials may verify the animal’s identity, inspect its carrier and examine its passport, health certificate, vaccination records and import permits. For that reason, travellers are strongly encouraged to carry original and up-to-date documents, as missing paperwork could result in delays, financial penalties, quarantine or the animal being sent back. Until clearance has been completed, the pet should remain in a secure, leak-proof container and should not be allowed to roam freely in terminals or airport lounges. Any sign of illness or distress may also lead to intervention by customs or veterinary authorities. Entry requirements can vary according to the pet’s country of origin, species and vaccination status. Some destinations impose quarantine, prohibit certain breeds or limit the number of animals that one person may bring into the country, making it essential for passengers to check the latest rules before travelling. When an animal is refused entry, the guidelines call for airlines to have a contingency plan that protects the pet while coordinating with local authorities and ground teams. Passengers should also receive clear information about whether the animal will be quarantined, temporarily accommodated or returned to its point of departure. The same level of planning should apply when journeys do not proceed as expected. Flight delays, cancellations, diversions and rerouting can extend the time an animal remains confined and may introduce new entry requirements if the itinerary changes. Airlines should therefore establish procedures for rebooking, temporary holding arrangements, veterinary assistance and the updating of documents when a pet is unexpectedly routed through another jurisdiction. Ground teams, cabin crew and customer-service staff should also coordinate their response so that passengers receive timely instructions. Finally, IATA distinguishes ordinary pets from service animals and emotional-support animals. Service animals, generally dogs trained to assist people with disabilities, may travel in the cabin without charge when they meet the relevant documentation and behaviour requirements. Emotional-support animals, by contrast, are not recognised consistently across countries and airlines and may therefore be treated as ordinary pets. The recommendations do not override national regulations or require every airline to accept the same animals. Instead, they seek to ensure that whatever policy a carrier adopts is explained early, applied consistently and followed throughout the journey, creating a safer and more predictable experience for passengers, pets and airline staff.