Transporting pets by plane
Iranian airlines and many other countries in the world allow their passengers to carry pets, but this license has its own conditions and regulations. For example, it is forbidden to bring pets or birds into the cabin of Iranian airplanes. This means that you cannot have a pet with you in the cabin during the flight. As a result, if you plan to take your pet or bird on a trip with you, you must get a special ticket for it through the air ticket offices and obtain the permission of the airline company.
To send animals by plane from one country to another, you must read the rules and regulations related to transporting pets by plane in the country of origin and destination. Because these laws are different in every country. You can also contact the airline before you travel to be sure and get the details of the rules regarding the transportation of animals so that you don’t have any problems during your trip.
If you and your pet are going to be on the same flight, according to the rules, you must hand over your pet at the passenger terminal and after landing, pick it up at the baggage hall at the airport of the destination country. But if the owner of the animal is not on the same flight with him, the animal will be accepted at the cargo terminal of the airport of origin and finally at the airport of destination, the person responsible for receiving the animal will receive the animal by presenting his identification document. In fact, the recipient’s information is written by the sender in the bill of lading.
It should also be noted that sending animals by plane is not limited to domestic animals and you can also transport wild animals by plane by following the rules.
Air transport conditions for pets:
In general, there are a series of conditions and rules for accepting animals by airlines, which are as follows.
- Prepare your pet’s cage a few days in advance: This is because it is better for your animal to familiarize itself with the conditions that experiences during the flight before flying. In this way, you should prepare the desired cage a few days in advance and place the animal in the cage for the duration of the flight. Repeat it two or three times before the trip so that the animal gets a relative familiarity with the flight environment.
- Put your clothes inside the dog’s cage: A dog is an animal that becomes very dependent on its owner. In order for the dog to feel safe and calm during the trip, it is better to put one of your used clothes (the clothes should not be washed) inside the dog’s cage. By smelling his owner along the way, the animal will feel that he is next to him and his fear of flying will be much less.
- No heavy food before the flight: Do not give the animal heavy food at least 5 hours before the flight. Because it may be annoying during the flight. Be sure to note that if the flight time of the animal is going to be more than two hours, put enough water and light food in its cage.
- Buy a non-stop ticket: The flight conditions are definitely more difficult for dogs or other animals than usual. In order for your dog to be less bothered and to experience a shorter flight time, get him a one-way ticket as much as possible.
- Be sure to call the preferred airport twenty-four hours before the trip so that if there is a problem or issue with sending animals by plane, you will be informed and have enough time to solve it.
- Don’t forget to get the AVIH (live animal transport service) code from the ticket office.
- It will take time to accept the pet and leave it in the baggage area of ​​the airport. So, arrive at the airport at least two hours earlier for international flights and at least one hour earlier for domestic flights.
- To transport a dog by plane, 10 weeks must have passed since the birth of the animal. For some countries, this rule is considered to be at least 12 weeks. This rule also includes cats.
- There is also a limit to the number of animals you can carry on a flight. According to the laws of the Iranian Veterinary Organization, each person can carry a maximum of 2 cat or dog collars. Also, the number of birds that each person is allowed to carry is 10 decorative birds.
- Remember that some airlines do not accept sick, aggressive animals and animals of high material value. Therefore, be sure to contact your preferred airline for the details of the rules regarding the transportation of animals.
Remember that the mentioned rules are general rules and an airline may have other rules in addition to these rules that you must follow.
Necessary documents for transporting pets by plane
Transporting different animals, both wild and domestic, by plane will not be as easy as transporting humans. Therefore, before traveling, be sure to have all the necessary documents that are announced to you by the airline, so that you don’t get into trouble at the airport. The necessary documents for sending animals by plane include the birth certificate and passport of the animal, the original form for payment of the animal transport fare, completing special form for the request for the handling of living creatures, the written confirmation of the airport veterinary quarantine and also the original international health certificate issued by the government veterinarian of the country of origin or destination.
We also remind you that receiving an international health certificate is not necessary for sending animals by plane in domestic trips, and it is only mandatory to have it in trips abroad.
Cage suitable for carrying animals:
All animals must be caged to be transported by plane. Airlines advise travelers to keep the following points in mind when purchasing and placing animals in cages:
- It must have appropriate dimensions, otherwise the animal’s travel will be prevented.
- It should be large enough for the animal to stand naturally.
- It should be strong enough to hold the animal, secure and have ventilation holes.
- The cage door must have a lock so that it cannot be opened accidentally, and it must also not have wheels under it.
- The muzzle of the animal must be free inside the cage, that’s why it is forbidden to close the grain inside the cage.
- The flight crew should be aware of the risk of animal bites.
- The cage must have an information label with the passenger’s full name, address and contact number written on it.
How much does it cost to transport animals by plane?
The exact amount of carrying a pet while buying a ticket is calculated on the excess fee, which is calculated based on the weight of the pet and the weight of its cage. The calculation of the cost of sending animals by airplane is as follows.
For domestic birds: the weight of the bird plus the weight of its cage multiplied by 4
For domestic animals: the total weight of the animal and its cage multiplied by 2
In this way, the amount of excess for animals is determined. Of course, don’t forget that brokerage will be added to this amount.
In general, for the air transport of live animals abroad, it considered not only the laws of the country of origin and the country of destination should be taken into account, but also the international laws and also the laws related to the transport companies and the transport of live animals from Iran, which may be a little stricter. If you are planning to transport animals by plane, it is better to choose airlines that support and love animals so that both you and your pet can have a wonderful experience together.
It is noteworthy that countries such as England, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain do not allow pets to enter by plane due to the large number of pets in this country. In the case of such countries, pets must be sent by Cargo.