Guide to transporting animals by plane

Whether you are moving or want to ship animals somewhere, there are some rules and regulations you must know. Not all shippers want to help you with this matter, however, some international shipping companies in Lebanon will be happy to oblige. In order to know how to approach this, and what is the best way of transporting animals by plane, we have created a guide just for you! We will cover everything you need to know, from the rules and regulations to the ways of preparing your animals for shipping. So, without any further ado, let’s dive in!

Transporting animals by plane

When you want to transport animals by plane, you need to decide where you want to put it. Air freight Lebanon and other shipping companies offer putting the animal in the cabin, or in the cargo hold depending on the size and weight of the animal. It is best to make a reservation as soon as possible. The best-case scenario is that you contact the airline and say that you want to transport your animal at least 24 hours after booking your ticket.

So, as we said, there are some options where you want to put your animal. You have the cabin, the baggage hold, and in the baggage hold as cargo. One thing you should consider when choosing the best place for your pet is its weight and size. Shipping companies have a right to decline to transport your animal if the size and weight don’t correspond to the regulations.

Journey organization

There are some medical and legal documents your animal needs to have before being able to travel via an airplane. It needs to have vaccination records against rabies. It needs to have health certificates concerning clinical examination, deticking, and deworming. A great idea is to read the pets and international travel rules and regulations of both the country of departure and the destination country. That is it when it comes to medical documents. Now for the legal ones. Your animal needs to possess a passport with a full description of the pet and the proof that it has a microchip. Furthermore, you need to have a container of the right size for transport.

When it comes to medical documents, they all need to be recent and up-to-date. Vaccination records against rabies need to be at least 21 (or 30 in some countries) days old. The animal needs to be at least 3 months old.

In addition to the legal documentation, you also need to check the regulations of both the country of departure and the destination country. There may also be some other rules needed to transport your animal other than the ones we have mentioned.

Preparing your animal for the trip

This is an important part of transporting animals by plane. Your pet needs to be well accustomed to the closed space and the vibrations caused by the aircraft moving through the air. You can do this by leaving a travel cage or kennel open beside its usual bed. It will be very beneficial for your animal if it is able to get accustomed to sleeping inside the kennel. You should also take it for a spin around your neighborhood once it is accustomed to the kennel. It will need fully make sleeping in a kennel a habit because freight forwarders in Lebanon will surely move it from one cargo hold to another if the cargo needs to change planes during the trip at some of the stops.

Create a water supply inside the kennel and put in a food bowl. Your pet also needs to learn how to eat while in the kennel. You do not want your animal to starve during the trip. Label the kennel and tape on a piece of paper which has the instructions on how to feed your pet. Another thing to mention is that you should take your pet a few hours outside for a walk and remember not to feed it a couple of hours prior to the trip. Get to the airport at least 3 hours before departure time because the check-in process for animals is long and you do not want to miss your flight because of that. If your pet needs some medicine, make sure to pack the medical supplies in a bag and secure it to the kennel using tape.

Transporting your animal in the cabin

If you want to transport your animal this way, you need to have a kennel of an appropriate size. Visit https://dublinpaintingpros.ie/. The maximum weight of the kennel and the pet altogether cannot exceed 18 pounds. It also needs to be of appropriate dimensions so it can fit inside the cabin. The appropriate dimensions are 50/35/20 cm or 20/13/8 inches. This is length, width, and height. If the dimensions of your container are a tad bit larger, you can try negotiating with shippers to see if they want to consider letting your pet inside. Your pet needs to be inside the container at all times. Another important thing to mention is that the pet should be under the seat in front of you. This should be done when the plane is taking off, landing, or in the case of turbulence.

Transporting your pet in the baggage hold

If this is the way you want to go about it, make sure that you follow these regulations. Your pet needs to be inside a kennel that complies with IATA (International Air Transport Association). This means that the container needs to be big enough for your pet to be able to lie down, stand and turn. The container also needs to be labeled appropriately and it needs to have feeding and handling instructions. Other than that, it needs to have both water and a food container that can only be opened by a person responsible for that.