Live animals guide
Live animal air transport
Horses, breeding cattle, zoo animals and day-old chicks fly regularly, but under a different rule set than general cargo. This guide covers what must be settled before the first enquiry and where live animal missions fail in practice.
Short answer
Live animals move under the IATA Live Animals Regulations. The controlling items are approved crates, veterinary certificates and import permits, a border control post at the destination airport, sufficient ventilation on the main deck and, for most large animals, attendants on board. A charter is used when scheduled capacity, journey time or crate height rule out a line service.
- Rule set
- IATA LAR, current edition
- Lead time
- Two to six weeks typical
- Destination
- Border control post required
- Attendance
- Groom or vet on board
Crates decide the aircraft type
Crate height, not weight, sets the aircraft in most missions. Three-stall horse crates are tall and long, cattle modules are wide. Both have to pass the main deck door and sit under the fuselage contour before any rate discussion is meaningful.
Crates are built or leased to the IATA LAR container requirements. Non-slip flooring, ventilation on all sides, secure external latching and access to feed and water are acceptance conditions and are checked at handover.
| Consignment | Typical unit | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Horses | One to three stall crates | Tall loading height, one groom per eight to twelve animals |
| Breeding cattle | Modules on main deck pallets | Bedding, watering, mandatory cleaning |
| Day-old chicks | Flat stacked boxes | Ventilation critical, short total journey |
| Zoo animals | Project built crate | CITES paperwork, vet on board |
| Fish fry | Oxygenated bags | Temperature window, no ground standing |
Paperwork and the border control post
Incomplete documents stop acceptance. A mission typically needs a health certificate, an import permit from the destination country, quarantine arrangements and, for protected species, separate CITES export and import permits.
The destination airport must also operate a border control post approved for the species and staffed at the planned arrival time. Night arrivals at stations without standby cover are the most common cause of avoidable standing time after landing.
- Health certificate
- Issued by the official veterinarian, valid through arrival.
- Import permit
- From the destination country, often naming a quarantine station.
- CITES
- For protected species, export and import permits handled separately.
- Border control post
- Species approval and opening hours confirmed against the arrival slot.
Attendants on board and journey time
Horses and large livestock fly with attendants. They check the animals in flight, water them and report anything unusual to the loadmaster. The number follows species and headcount and has to fit the seating available on the freighter.
Total journey time counts from loading to unloading, not flight time alone. Long road feeders, technical fuel stops and waiting at the border control post all enter the same calculation and limit which routings are acceptable.
Why charter rather than scheduled
Scheduled freighters accept live animals, but in limited volume and rarely a whole consignment. A charter is chosen when a herd has to arrive together, when crate height rules out scheduled types, or when transhipment with renewed standing time must be avoided.
The second reason is the calendar. Auctions, races, breeding programmes and relocations have fixed dates. A charter flies direct to the destination airport and makes arrival a planned time rather than a function of connections.
What the desk needs for a quote
- Species and headcount
- With weight class per animal and origin details.
- Crate plan
- Owned, leased or newly built, with external dimensions.
- Stations
- Origin and destination with border control post and quarantine address.
- Document status
- Which permits are in hand and which are still being applied for.
- Timing
- Earliest and latest usable arrival window, with fixed constraints named.
Which rules apply to live animals on aircraft?+
The IATA Live Animals Regulations govern crate construction, marking, ventilation, feeding and acceptance. Veterinary and import rules of both countries apply on top, and CITES applies to protected species.
How many horses fit into a freighter?+
A widebody freighter typically carries around 60 to 100 horses depending on stall configuration, a narrowbody considerably fewer. The figure depends on stalls per crate, weight and attendant requirements.
Does a vet have to fly with the animals?+
Not always. Horses and large livestock normally travel with grooms; a veterinarian is added for high value or sensitive consignments and whenever an authority requires it.
How far in advance should a live animal charter be booked?+
Two to six weeks is normal because permits, quarantine and crate supply set the pace. Urgent missions are possible when the paperwork is already in place.
What happens if the flight is delayed on arrival?+
Animals remain crated under supervision with ventilation and watering maintained. For that reason arrival is planned inside border control post hours and a fallback is agreed in advance.
More answers in the FAQ hub with 50+ questions.
Plan a live animal mission
Species, headcount, crate plan and both stations are enough for a first assessment with aircraft options and a permit timeline.
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Move the next mission
Send the requirement and the desk will come back with sourced options, or call now if it is time-critical.