Airline Cargo Crate Requirements for Dogs (2026)

Almost everything about flying a dog in cargo is set by other people. The kennel is the exception: it is entirely your decision, it is checked at the counter, and getting it wrong is the most common reason a booked pet does not fly.

A necessary caution before the list. Requirements are set by each airline, generally following the international live-animal standards, and they differ in detail and change without much notice. What follows is a checklist of what to verify against your airline's own published page — it is not a substitute for that page, and no article can be. Where a specification is commonly required, we say so; we do not print numbers that vary by carrier as though they were universal.

Construction

Rigid, one-piece or securely joined shell

Airlines require a hard-sided kennel — typically molded plastic with a metal grille door. Soft crates, wire crates and collapsible fabric carriers are not accepted for the hold under any circumstances. The shell has to resist being crushed or prised open by handling and by the animal.

Metal door and metal fasteners

This is the one that catches people. Many hard kennels sold for car and home use are held together with plastic clips or wing nuts, and airlines commonly require the two halves to be joined with metal nuts and bolts, and the door to be metal rather than plastic. A kennel that looks correct can be refused on this point alone. Hardware conversion kits exist and are cheap; buying a kennel built for the job — like the ones in our heavy-duty crate roundup — avoids the question entirely.

No wheels attached in transit

Kennels sold with wheels are common and fine to own, but the wheels usually have to be removed or rendered immobile before the kennel is accepted. Check that yours come off without tools you will not have at an airport.

Leak-proof floor with absorbent bedding

The base must contain fluids. Absorbent material is generally required inside — a puppy pad or shredded paper is typical, and straw or hay is often prohibited on import grounds.

Ventilation

Openings on multiple sides

Ventilation on at least three sides is commonly required, and four is often specified for international routes. This is a genuine welfare provision rather than a formality — airflow is what makes a hold survivable at ground temperatures.

Exterior rims or spacers

Kennels usually need raised rims or knobs on the outside so that other cargo cannot be pushed flush against the vents and block them. Purpose-built airline kennels have these molded in; general-purpose ones frequently do not.

Size

Stand, turn and lie down naturally

The dog must be able to stand fully without its head touching the roof, turn around completely, and lie down in a natural position. Measure the dog standing and lying, then buy the kennel that satisfies both — not the one that fits your car.

Bigger is not automatically better

There are upper limits driven by the aircraft's cargo door and hold, and they are lower on smaller aircraft. If your dog is at the large end, confirm the maximum kennel dimensions for the specific aircraft on your route before booking, not after.

Bowls, labeling and paperwork

Food and water bowls accessible from outside

Bowls generally have to be attached inside the door and refillable from outside without opening the kennel. Kennels sold as airline-compliant usually include them; if yours did not, buy clip-on bowls rather than improvising.

Live-animal markings and orientation arrows

"Live Animal" labeling and upright orientation arrows are standard requirements. Add your name, phone number and destination address in more than one place, and tape a photo of the dog to the top — it makes identification instant if anything goes wrong.

Documents attached, and copies with you

Feeding and watering instructions are usually required attached to the kennel. Keep the health certificate and vaccination records with you as well as attached, and make sure the microchip is registered to a number you will actually answer.

Before you leave for the airport

Acclimate the dog to the kennel over weeks, not days — our crate training guide covers the sequence. Do not sedate. Check the door latch and the bolts the morning of travel. Attach a collar with a current ID tagbut no leash or long lead inside the kennel, since a loose lead is a strangulation risk in a moving hold. And read the airline's page one more time the week you fly, because it may have changed since you booked.

Questions

Frequently asked

What kind of crate is required for a dog to fly in cargo?

A rigid hard-sided kennel — typically molded plastic with a metal grille door, metal fasteners joining the two halves, ventilation on at least three sides, a leak-proof floor, and food and water bowls reachable from outside. Soft crates, wire crates and fabric carriers are never accepted for the hold.

Why do airlines require metal bolts on a dog crate?

Because plastic clips and wing nuts can fail or be worked loose in handling, which would release the animal into the hold. Many kennels sold for home and car use ship with plastic fasteners, and swapping them for metal nuts and bolts is the single most common pre-flight fix — or the single most common reason a kennel is refused.

What size crate does my dog need for cargo travel?

One where the dog can stand fully without its head touching the roof, turn around completely and lie down naturally. Measure the dog standing and lying rather than guessing from weight. Note there is also an upper limit set by the aircraft's cargo door, which is lower on smaller planes — confirm it for your specific route.

Can a dog crate have wheels for airline cargo?

You can own one with wheels, but they generally have to be removed or immobilized before the kennel is accepted. Check that yours detach without special tools, because you will be doing it at a check-in counter.

What should go inside a cargo kennel with the dog?

Absorbent bedding such as a puppy pad or shredded paper, and the attached food and water bowls. Not a leash or long lead, which is a strangulation risk in a moving hold, and usually not straw or hay, which is often prohibited on import grounds. Feeding instructions go on the outside.

Keep reading

Receipts

Sources

We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Product dimensions and safety claims come from the manufacturer's own listing; airline limits come from the airline's published policy, with the date we checked it. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.