When a pet has to travel in cargo and is traveling on an IATA signatory airline, the IATA Live Animal Regulations (LAR) outline the responsibilities airlines and other signatory companies like pet shippers and cargo handlers must adhere to when transporting live animals.
This is a checklist of the 15 cargo-related points addressed by the cargo requirements as defined in Chapter 8 of the Live Animal Regulations.
For general transport purposes, animals must be carried only in well-constructed closed containers. The container must securely keep the animal inside at all times and protect it from unauthorized access. Doors must be constructed to prevent accidental opening from inside or outside, and ventilation openings must be small enough to prevent any part of the animal from protruding.
Cargo containers can be made of fiberglass, metal, rigid plastics, solid wood or plywood (all wood must comply with IPPC standards), or welded wire mesh. However, containers made entirely of welded wire mesh or any other type of wire mesh are unsuitable for air transport and must not be used.
It must be rigid enough to prevent the animal from escaping through gaps at the seams or joints.
It must be strong enough to withstand other freight without damage, buckling, or bending.
Joints of wooden containers must be constructed to resist damage from animals gnawing or clawing from the inside.
It must not pose any risk to the animal—all inside edges must be smooth or rounded. There must be no sharp projections (such as nails) that could injure the animal or staff handling the crate.
Spacer devices must be built into the design to provide handles for moving the container and prevent other freight from blocking ventilation openings.
Handles may be attached in addition to spacer bars. The container must protect handlers from being clawed or bitten by the animal, which is why ventilation openings have specific requirements.
The container must be adequately ventilated on three sides, with most ventilation in the upper part. A side wall refers to one of the four vertical walls surrounding the animal, not including the roof above or the floor below.
One or two of the vertical walls, preferably the narrower ones, may serve as sliding, hinged, or screwed-on doors for loading and unloading.
Doors must have hardware that allows secure closing and easy opening by authorized personnel. Locking pins must engage the container behind the hinged door extrusions by at least 1.6 cm (3/4 in).
The ventilation and welfare requirements according to species:
For dogs, the ventilation maximum is 25 mm x 25 mm (1 in x 1 in).
For cats, the ventilation maximum is 19mm x 19mm (3/4 in x 3/4 in).
For all containers the welded wire mesh must be 2.5 mm or thicker for dogs and 2.0 mm or thicker for cats.
Rigid plastic containers are suitable for most dog breeds, but their acceptability is at the operator's discretion. Some rigid plastic containers may not be suitable for large or aggressive dogs.
It must be clean and, if being reused, thoroughly disinfected or sterilized.
The container dimensions must be appropriate for the animal's actual size.
Although freighter aircraft have few limitations, factors such as compartment door size and aircraft hold area affect the acceptability of live animal shipments. This situation commonly arises when traveling on smaller aircraft (including private jets) where pets must be kept in carriers for health and safety reasons. Consider these factors when determining container size, along with the guidelines above.
One final note: wooden crates entering the United States from countries other than Canada and adjacent Mexican border states must be constructed with wood packing materials completely free of bark, except for plywood. This responsibility falls strictly on the shipment importer.
Crate standards and airline policies can change, so confirm current requirements with your airline and the destination's official animal import authority before you travel. Final acceptance of your pet and crate always rests with the airline and the destination authority.