Pet Care

Travelling with pets in Air India : Guidelines & Rules for Carrying Pets on International Flights

September 6, 2023

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Travelling with pets in Air India : Guidelines & Rules for Carrying Pets on International Flights

Air India allows small pets like dogs, cats, and birds in the cabin or cargo hold of domestic flights at the owner’s risk. Travellers flying with pets must have valid health and rabies vaccination certificates with them at the time of the flight.

Please note that carrying pets is subject to approval of the commander of the flight.

Guidelines for Domestic Flights

The pet must be in a soft, ventilated bag or kennel not exceeding dimensions 18 in x 18 in x 12 in.
If the weight of the pet, including the container does not exceed 5 kg, you can carry them in the cabin. Pets weighing 32 kg, including the weight of the kennel/crate, are permitted as checked in baggage and beyond 32 kg should be booked as cargo.
Dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks of age to travel.
Pregnant pets will not be allowed on the flight.
Maximum two pets are permitted in the cabin per flight, one in the last row of first or business class and one in the last row of economy class.
A label with the name of the pet will be affixed on the container.
A moisture absorbent mat must be placed inside the pet’s container.
Dogs must be properly muzzled and leashed.
Pets or guide dogs are not allowed on the passenger seats.
Pets can be carried as accompanied baggage or shipped as cargo. Travellers can make bookings for pets as accompanied excess baggage through Air India reservations.
Pets will be charged as additional baggage and will not be included in the free baggage allowance even if the traveller has no other baggage.
Normal excess baggage fee will apply for pets on domestic journeys within India. The fee is calculated on the combined weight of the pet, container, and food.
If a guide dog is trained to lead a traveller with impaired vision or hearing and the passenger is dependent on such dog, it may be allowed to be carried free of charge given that it is properly muzzled and leashed and has all required health and vaccination certificates.

Guidelines for International Flights

Passengers intending to import/export pets into/from India as baggage are required to comply with applicable regulations and to have ‘No Objection Certificate’/’Pre-import Clearance’ from Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS) before the commencement of the journey to India. For further details on import/export of pet to/from India, please refer to the government’s animal quarantine & certification services.

Travellers with the requisite clearance and permission from AQCS can only carry out the import/export at six airports in India which are Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. They can only import or export the pets from the airport/s mentioned on the permit. For example, if the permission to import a pet has been granted by the ACQS office in Delhi, then the first port of arrival for this pet can only be Delhi.

Pets will be accepted only when properly crated and accompanied by valid documentation from the country of origin certifying that the pet is free from clinical signs and symptoms of all infectious and contagious diseases including rabies, distemper, leptospirosis etc.

Valid documents also include entry permits and all other requirements by the country of entry/transit for pets. Acceptance and consequential developments are at owner’s risk.

Pets weighing up to 5 kg, including the weight of the kennel/crate, are permitted as cabin luggage. Pets weighing 32 kg, including the weight of the kennel/crate, are permitted as checked in baggage and over 32 kg should be booked as cargo.
Pets must be in a soft, ventilated bag or kennel not exceeding dimensions 18” x 18” x 12”.
The pet must be properly muzzled and leashed and the weight of the pet including the container should not exceed 5 kg.
The owner will assume all the risks of injury, sickness, or death of the pet being carried. A declaration indemnifying the airline will be obtained from the passenger.
A maximum of two pets as checked baggage or service animals are permitted per aircraft. This rule is valid for all flights, without exception.
Dogs and cats (three months of age and older) must be vaccinated against rabies more than a month ago, but within 12 months prior to the journey. Details of all vaccination records must be mentioned in the official health certificate.
The name of owner in the official health certificate must match with the name mentioned in the traveller’s ticket. Traveller’s booking reference must include a remark indicating that they will be travelling with a pet.
Pets will be charged as additional baggage and will not be included in the free baggage allowance even if the traveller has no other baggage. If a guide dog is trained to lead a traveller with impaired vision or hearing and the passenger is dependent on the animal, it may be allowed to be carried free of charge.
Normal excess baggage fee will apply for pets on domestic journeys within India. The fee is calculated on the combined weight of the pet, container, and food.
Properly muzzled and leashed trained guide and service dogs, who are not occupying a passenger seat and are compliant with all other pet import regulations, are the only pets accepted inside the cabin with permission of the flight commander.
The owner must ensure their pets meet all quarantine requirements. Pets may be subjected to quarantine at destination at the owner’s expense. The quarantine period may vary and would be at the discretion of the vet authorities at destination.

Air India will not be responsible if the pets are refused entry into or passage through any country or territory.

Additional Rules for Carrying Pets on International Flights

Pets are not permitted in the hold or cabin on Ultra Long Haul (ULH) direct flights (Example: India-USA-India and India-Canada-India route) with the only exception being service dogs required to assist the blind or deaf, which may be carried in the cabin.
There is no provision to carry emotional support animals on Air India flights.
Service dogs from high-risk countries may be imported only with US CDC’s advance written approval (CDC Dog Import Permit).
As per US regulations, emotional support animals, comfort animals, companion animals, and service animals in training are not considered service animals.
Only one service dog per flight will be permitted.

Visit the CDC website for more information.

Exceptions to Rules for Carrying Pets

For flights transiting through the Middle East, birds cannot be carried as accompanied baggage either in cabin or cargo hold. They may, however, be permitted as accompanied baggage on flights from India to the Gulf.
Carriage of pet animals into the UAE by air shall be in accordance with the terms and conditions of International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Live Animals Regulations (LARS) by air cargo and not under baggage mode.
There is a temporary suspension on import of animals, especially dogs and cats, accompanied with passengers into Sri Lanka. However, you can import them via Air Cargo.
Currently Air India is not authorized to carry animals (including service animals) in and out of United Kingdom in cabin or as baggage in the cargo hold.

Source-https://www.airindia.com/in/en/travel-information/first-time-flyers/carriage-of-pets.html