If you’re planning a long-distance move – whether across the country or overseas – your pets will most likely travel by air, either as cargo or as excess baggage. One of the most important steps in preparing them for their journey is securing an appropriate travel crate for each pet. Not just any carrier will do. To protect your pet’s safety and comply with airline rules, they must travel in a kennel that meets IATA (International Air Transport Association) standards.
Airlines make special arrangements for animals, but they still need to move pets safely between the terminal and the aircraft and ensure they remain secure throughout the flight. Standardized kennel requirements help protect both animals and ground crews and reduce risk during loading, unloading, and transit.
While IATA does not formally approve or certify specific kennels, it does publish detailed standards that every travel crate must meet to help ensure pets fly safely. We’ve summarized the key points of those requirements below, and you can also review the full guidelines in this detailed PDF.
Your pet must be able to sit, stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably inside the travel kennel. While cats generally fit standard-sized kennels, dog sizes vary widely. It’s critical to measure your dog accurately so you can choose the correct size. If the airline believes the kennel is too small, they may refuse to accept your pet for travel.
Use the following dog measurements to determine the correct size:
A = length of pet from tip of nose to base/root of tail (not including the full tail)
B = height from the ground to the elbow joint
C = width across the shoulders or widest point (whichever is greater)
D = height of pet in a natural standing position from the top of the head or ear tip to the floor (whichever is higher)
Minimum INTERNAL kennel dimensions:
Kennel length = A + ½ B
Kennel width = C × 2
Kennel height = D + bedding (add roughly 2–3 inches)
If you have a snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breed such as a pug, bulldog, or boxer, you will generally need to select the next size larger kennel than the formula would normally indicate.
Your pet’s travel kennel must be made of fiberglass, metal, rigid plastic, solid wood, or plywood and must provide ventilation on all four sides. Welded metal mesh may be used for ventilation windows and doors, but the openings must be small enough that your pet cannot poke their nose, paws, or toes through. Lightweight, all-mesh, or collapsible carriers do not meet air-travel safety and security requirements and will not be accepted.
Rigid plastic is the most common material because it is sturdy yet relatively lightweight. Non-plastic kennels have additional requirements for wall thickness, hardware, and mesh type/size. The interior must be completely smooth so that your pet does not get scratched or injured.
If you have a plastic kennel with separate top and bottom halves, they must be secured together with metal nuts and bolts. Plastic clips or twist-locks alone are not sufficient and will be rejected. Airlines and professional pet transport companies will typically add cable ties as an extra safety measure. The floor must be solid and leak-proof. The door must be constructed of plastic, wood, plywood, or welded/cast metal and secured so that your pet cannot dislodge it. The latch should be escape-proof even for a determined pet, and cable ties are often used to further secure the door.
Depending on the size and style of the kennel, handles or spacers may be required on the sides so ground crews can lift and maneuver the crate safely. Most commercial plastic kennels already include these features. If you’re using a custom wooden kennel, the builder must follow all applicable IATA specifications.
If your dog is too large for the biggest standard plastic kennel, you may need a custom-built wooden crate. Some pet shippers, including companies in the UK, also use wooden kennels for smaller pets such as cats. It is essential that any wooden kennel is built to current IATA standards. Simply knowing a skilled carpenter is not enough; the builder must understand and follow the aviation requirements.
Starwood works with a network of specialized custom crate builders and can arrange an IATA-compliant wooden kennel designed specifically for your pet’s size, route, and airline.
IATA-compliant hard-sided kennels are widely available online and at major pet retailers, but not every “travel” crate on the shelf meets airline and IATA rules. Be sure the kennel you choose aligns with the construction and sizing guidelines above. Starwood recommends Petmate Sky Kennels, which can be purchased directly from Petmate or through retailers such as Amazon. They come with the key components your pet needs and are straightforward to assemble.
If you partner with an international pet transport company for your move (which can save considerable time and reduce the risk of issues on travel day), they can typically supply an appropriate IATA-compliant kennel as part of your relocation package.
If your pet will travel in-cabin with you, you will usually need a soft-sided carrier. Each airline has its own rules for in-cabin pet travel, so you’ll need to confirm dimensions, weight limits, and construction requirements directly with your carrier. In general, the in-cabin kennel must be large enough for your pet to be comfortable, but compact enough to fit fully under the seat in front of you. Even if you already own a hard-sided carrier you use for vet visits, your airline may require a soft-sided model for in-cabin flights.
With an appropriately sized, IATA-compliant carrier that meets your airline’s specific guidelines, your pet will be well-prepared and safer for their flight to their new home—wherever in the world that may be.
**Photo by Madalyn Cox on Unsplash