Which airlines accept pets in India?

Air India and Akasa Air accept pets on many domestic sectors under their live-animal policies, and international carriers such as Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Emirates, KLM, Turkish Airlines and Air France carry pets out of India as cargo or checked baggage. IndiGo does not accept pets on most flights. Policies change; we verify your exact sector before booking.

What is a heat embargo?

Airlines suspend live-animal acceptance when ground temperatures at origin, transit or destination exceed a safe threshold, commonly around 27–29°C for cargo and lower for snub-nosed breeds. In Indian summers this rules out many mid-day slots, so we shift to early-morning or late-night departures.

How is air freight for a pet calculated?

Usually on volumetric weight: the crate's length × width × height divided by a dimensional factor, compared against actual weight, with the higher figure charged. This is why crate sizing matters financially as well as for welfare. An oversized crate can add tens of thousands of rupees.

How early do we have to reach the cargo terminal?

Four hours before departure is the standard live-animal acceptance cut-off at Indian cargo complexes, and it is a deadline rather than a guideline. Miss it and the booking rolls to the next available flight. Add the drive, and a 6am departure means a pickup around midnight. We quote that pickup time up front because it is the detail that surprises people most.

Can my pet fly without me?

Yes. As manifest cargo your pet travels on its own air waybill and needs nobody on the passenger side of the airport. Our handler completes the terminal formalities at departure and someone collects at the other end. Checked excess baggage is the option that requires you to be on the same flight; cargo does not.

What happens if the flight is cancelled with my pet already at the terminal?

Every booking we make carries a written fallback: an alternate sector, the terminal contact, and where the animal waits in a temperature-controlled area rather than on a dock. Our handler stays until departure is confirmed rather than leaving after handover, which is the difference between a cancellation being a delay and being an emergency.

Do airlines charge by the pet's weight or the crate's?

Cargo is charged on whichever is higher: the actual combined weight of pet and crate, or the crate's volumetric weight, which is its length × width × height divided by a dimensional factor. For most crates the volumetric figure wins, which is why a 20 kg dog in an oversized kennel can be charged as if it weighed 60 kg.

Is a direct flight worth paying extra for?

Almost always, yes. Transits are where pets sit longest, where crates are handled most, and where a delay turns into an overnight at a hub with no live-animal facility. We price both and recommend the direct routing on any sector where one exists, even when the connection is several thousand rupees cheaper.

Live-animal bookings · breed & heat embargo checks

Pet transport by air in and from India

Flying is usually the fastest and, done properly, the calmest option. Done improperly, it is the one that keeps you awake. The difference is entirely in the preparation.

Starting from: ₹22,000
Lead time: 10–21 days of prep
Best for: Long-distance domestic moves and all international relocations

The short answer

Aigan books pets on Indian and international airlines as in-cabin, checked excess baggage or manifest cargo, whichever the carrier, sector, breed and weight actually allow. We handle the live-animal booking, crate certification, terminal formalities and hand-off so your pet spends the least possible time waiting.

Is pet transport by air right for your pet?

Best for: Long-distance domestic moves and all international relocations.

Working knowledge of live-animal policies across major Indian and Gulf carriers
Crate volumetric weight calculated before quoting, so freight never surprises you
Alternate-routing plan on file for every booking

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At a glance

Pet transport by air: lead time and who it suits

Pet transport by air: starting price, lead time and what it suits
Starting from	₹22,000
Typical lead time	10–21 days of prep
Best for	Long-distance domestic moves and all international relocations
Priced on	Volumetric weight of the crate, distance and season. Not your pet's body weight
Quoted as	Separate lines for crate, freight, vet, permits, both transfer legs and GST

Dog transport by air

A dog flies as one of three products and the difference between them is thousands of rupees. Small dogs can occasionally travel in the cabin on carriers that allow it. Mid-size dogs usually go as checked excess baggage on the owner's own ticket, which is the cheapest way a dog leaves the ground when the sector supports it. Anything larger travels as manifest cargo on an air waybill, priced on the crate's volumetric weight: length by width by height, divided by the dimensional factor, compared against actual weight, higher figure charged. That is why we measure your dog before quoting a flight instead of after.

Cat transport by air

Cats have the easiest time of it in the air. A cat plus carrier under the cabin weight limit can fly in the cabin on carriers that permit it, and where it does not, the crate is small enough that volumetric freight stays modest even on a long sector. Two cats in one household is the question worth asking early: some carriers accept two compatible cats in one container and some insist on one animal per crate, which is the difference between one freight charge and two. Flat-faced cats, Persians, Himalayans, Exotic Shorthairs, are treated as brachycephalic and planned accordingly.

Charges

Pet transport by air charges in India

Flying a pet within India costs ₹22,000–₹55,000 door to door, and internationally from ₹85,000. The freight itself is only part of it. These are the lines that make up an air move, and the one people never budget for is terminal handling.

Pet transport by air charges in India, itemised
Line on your quote	Typical range	What moves the number
In-cabin carriage fee	₹4,000 – ₹10,000 per sector	Airline's published pet fee. Only available where the carrier and sector allow it
Checked excess baggage	₹10,000 – ₹25,000	Combined pet and crate weight, charged against your own ticket
Manifest cargo freight, domestic	₹15,000 – ₹45,000	Volumetric weight of the crate and the length of the sector
AWB, terminal handling and screening	₹2,000 – ₹5,000	Cargo complex charges at origin. Fixed by the terminal, not by us
IATA crate	₹4,500 – ₹18,000	Size class required for your pet to stand, turn and lie down
Vet fitness certificate	₹800 – ₹2,500	Must be dated inside the airline's validity window, often ten days
Ground transfer, both ends	₹2,500 – ₹6,000	Distance from your door to the cargo terminal, and from arrival to the new address

Volumetric weight is the single biggest lever on an air quote and the one you can still influence. A crate one size class too large is not a comfort upgrade. It is a permanent surcharge on every kilometre of the flight, which is why the measurement happens before the booking.

Compare

In-cabin, checked baggage or manifest cargo?

These are three genuinely different products, not three price points for the same thing. Which one your pet qualifies for is decided by the carrier, the sector and your pet's weight: not by preference.

In-cabin, checked baggage or manifest cargo?
Criterion	In cabin	Checked baggage	Manifest cargo
Who qualifies	Small cats and dogs, pet plus carrier typically under 5–7 kg	Pets travelling on the same flight as their owner	Any pet, including those travelling without their owner
Where the pet travels	Under the seat in front of you	Pressurised, temperature-controlled hold	Pressurised, temperature-controlled hold
Typical cost	₹4,000 – ₹10,000	₹10,000 – ₹25,000	₹15,000 – ₹45,000 domestic
Booked through	The passenger reservation, in advance	The passenger reservation, with airline approval	The airline's cargo division, on an air waybill
On the day	Normal check-in counter	Passenger terminal, extra time at check-in	Cargo complex, four hours before departure
When it is not available	Most Indian carriers, most sectors	When the owner is not flying, or the pet exceeds the weight cap	Heat embargo, breed restriction, no live-animal capacity

Before you book anything

What people worry about with pet transport by air

And precisely what we do about each one. If your worry isn't here, ask us. We'll answer it the same way.

“Is the hold pressurised and heated?”

Live animals travel in a pressurised, temperature-controlled compartment, but only on aircraft and carriers configured for it. We only book sectors where that is confirmed, and we check the seasonal heat embargo before quoting.

“What if there's a delay and my pet sits on the tarmac?”

We build in buffer, avoid tight transits, and our handler stays airside-adjacent until departure is confirmed. If a flight is cancelled, we have a fallback plan already written down.

“Will they be hungry or thirsty?”

A light meal timed hours before, frozen water in the spill-proof bowl that melts into a drink, and taped feeding instructions the ground crew can follow.

“My airline's website says nothing about pets.”

Because policies live in internal cargo manuals, not on booking pages. We work from the carrier's live-animal desk, sector by sector.

What's in the price

What's included in pet transport by air

This is the full scope of the service. Anything outside it appears as a separate, named line on your quote. Never as a surprise on the invoice.

Carrier & sector eligibility

Not every airline carries pets, and those that do restrict by aircraft type, season and breed. We confirm before you plan.

In-cabin vs baggage vs cargo

Three different products with three different price points and rule sets. We recommend the one your pet actually qualifies for.

AWB & live-animal booking

Confirmed air waybill or excess-baggage acceptance, with the Live Animals Acceptance Checklist completed correctly the first time.

Terminal handling

Cargo complex entry, weighing, security screening, quarantine desk and hand-over. The parts that swallow four hours if you do them alone.

Heat & breed embargo checks

Summer embargoes and snub-nosed restrictions are checked against your travel window, not assumed away.

Arrival collection

Someone waiting on the other side who knows your pet's name, with water and a leash.

How it runs

How pet transport by air works, step by step

Eligibility check

Breed, weight, crate volume and sector rules confirmed first.

Booking & crate

Live-animal space confirmed, crate sized and delivered for familiarisation.

Vet & documents

Fitness certificate within the validity window, vaccination card, and airline forms pre-filled.

Flight day

Pickup, hydration, terminal formalities, hand-off, and departure confirmation to you.

Landing & delivery

Collection, a check-over, and a calm ride to the new address.

When we will not put a pet on a plane

We decline air bookings more often than any other kind. A snub-nosed dog in an Indian summer, a corridor short enough that the drive beats the terminal time, Mumbai to Pune being the standard example, a pet under twelve weeks, an animal recovering from surgery, or a routing whose only option is a long overnight transit through a hub with no live-animal facility. In each of those cases there is a train or a van that gets the pet there in worse time and better condition, and we would rather sell you that.

Why Aigan for pet transport by air

We work from the carrier's live-animal desk rather than its booking page, because acceptance policies sit in internal cargo manuals and change by sector and by season.
Volumetric weight is calculated and shown to you before the booking, so freight is a number you approved rather than a number you discover.
Every booking carries a written fallback routing. Flights get cancelled; a crated animal at a terminal with no plan B is the failure mode we design against.

Questions about this service

Frequently asked questions: pet transport by air

Yes, when it is done correctly. Live animals fly in a pressurised, temperature-controlled hold on approved aircraft. The real risks come from an undersized crate, a snub-nosed breed, extreme ground temperatures, long layovers and untrained handling, all of which are preparation problems, and all of which are avoidable.

Services often booked with pet transport by air

Guides to read before booking pet transport by air

Cities we offer pet transport by air in

Bengaluru Delhi NCR Mumbai Hyderabad Chennai Pune Kolkata Ahmedabad Gurugram Noida Kochi Jaipur +100 more

Pet transport by air

Tell us about your pet. We'll tell you the honest plan.

Free consultation, an itemised quote within 30 minutes, and a straight answer about whether this is even the right service for you.

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