A Guide For Finding Airline Approved Pet Travel Crates
It is necessary for all dog containers or crates to fit certain requirements set out by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and by the specific airline you are flying with. These requirements are put in place to ensure the maximum safety of dogs and crew members during flight.
Table of Contents
What is an IATA-compliant dog crate?
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) have set out general container requirements for pet animals when travelling by plane whether that is domestically or internationally. An IATA compliant dog crate is specifically designed for air travel. They have special features, unlike regular dog crates, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of dogs and other pet animals when flying. They are also designed to make it easier for airline crew members to attend to travelling dog’s needs.
Crate Requirements
Exterior
Majority of IATA-compliant dog crates are made of rigid plastic. However some rigid plastic containers are not suitable for large or aggressive dogs. Therefore, specially constructed containers of metal, hardwood, plywood with two secure door fasteners are required.
For all containers, there needs to be an open end for ventilation and access. This opening must act as a door and be made of bars, welded mesh or smooth metal with holes. The door has to be secured on so your dog can’t open it during the flight. If the door is made of welded wire mesh, it must be 2.5mm or thicker and the openings can not be larger than 25mm x 25mm.
Ventilation is a priority for crates, and the ventilated area needs to be at least 16% of the total surface area of the four sides. For domestic flights there needs to be a minimum of ventilation on two sides of the crate and for international flights there must be ventilation on four sides. If the container doesn’t meet 16%, additional holes on the sides or roof can be added as long as it doesn’t affect the dimension stability of the crate. These holes must be nose and paw proof, so for smaller dogs, mesh can be placed over the holes to prevent any body parts going outside of the crate.
Handles must be provided along both long sides of the container so it can be moved around easily by crew members.
Finally, it is mandatory to stick green “Live Animals” labels and “This Way Up” labels on all sides of your crate. It is also important to attach your contact information and pet’s information with duct tape on the outside of the create as well.
Interior
The interior of a crate must be smooth. There can’t be any protrusions that your dog can chew to cause damage to the structure of the container, or any protrusions your dog could be injured by.
The crate must feature a solid and leak-proof floor. Crates can be lined with cushions or puppy pads or another form of absorbent paper for comfort, safety and for little accidents. You must have a water container inside your crate and it must be refillable from the outside without opening the door. These containers generally clip onto a wire mesh door like this one here. Hydration is super important and airlines will not accept a crate without access to water.
Size
A dog must have enough space to stand, to sit erect, to turn around easily while standing and to lie down in a comfortable position.
Below is a commonly used formula to determine the internal container dimensions of a good sized dog travel container. Please keep in mind that the size might need to be adjusted to meet other requirements of your dog, for example, snub nosed dog’s crates size must be increased by 10%.
Internal Container Dimensions Formula
A + ½ B = length of container
C x 2 = width of container.
D = height
What The Variables A, B, C, D Stand For
A = length of dog from tip of nose to bottom/base of tail.
B = height from ground to elbow joint.
C = shoulder width.
D = height of animal in standing position from the top of the head or the ear tip to the floor. (depending on which is higher)
Can multiple dogs travel in a single crate?
It is safest to only have one dog per container, however IATA claims that two animals can share the same container. These two dogs must be compatible, of the same species and under 14 kilograms each. Before booking, check your airline for their specific rules on travelling with multiple dogs per container.
Formulas for multiple dogs in one container:
Two dogs: C x 3
Three dogs: C x 4
The height and length are determined the same as for a single animal.
Note: take all measurements from the larger dog when calculating for multiple dogs
Remember: These calculated dimensions are for internal container dimensions, not external.
Airline Crate Prohibited Features
- A container made entirely of welded mesh or wire mesh
- Door on the top rather than side
- Doors entirely made of plastic
- Wheels. If the container has wheels, they should be removed or taped securely so that the kennel cannot roll.
- Soft material crates
My Recommendations for IATA-Compliant Dog Crates
1. SportPet Designs Plastic Kennels Rolling Plastic Wire Door Travel Dog Crate
Rating: 4.5 stars on amazon, 150+ customer reviews
Price: $69AUD – $230AUD
Review:
The SportPet Crate is a very highly rated product on Amazon and can act as both a home kennel as well as an air travel crate. It meets lots of IATA requirements including the use of rigid plastic material, ventilation, access to hydration, live animal stickers, solid leak proof floor and multiple size options.
It does include wheels which are not recommended for flight however they can be easily removed.
The crate comes in 2 rigid plastic sections which snap together during assembly.
A bonus to this product is that it comes with water bowls that clip on to the wire mesh door. This style of bowl is fantastic as it can be easily filled up by airline crew from the outside of the crate without opening the door.
Also gives you 4 free ‘Live Animal’ stickers.
The ventilation sections and door features metal slats. These are used instead of plastic holes to mitigate chewing problems and to provide 360 degrees of ventilation.
Specifications:
| Material | Hard Plastic |
| Colour | White & Dark Grey |
| Dimensions | Small: 24” x 16” x 16” / 60.9cm x 40.6cm x 40.6cm Medium: 27” x 20” x 19” / 68.5cm x 50.8cm x 48.2cm Large: 32” x 22” x 23” / 81.2cm x 55.9cm x 58.4cm X-Large: 35” x 24” x 27” / 88.9cm x 60.9cm x 68.5cm XX-Large: 39” x 27” x 30″ / 99cm x 68.5cm x 76.2cm |
| Ventilation | 360 degrees metal grate ventilation on all sizes except small which features holes in the rigid plastic walls. |
| Door | Single piece metal grate door |
| Handles | 2 top handles on large, X-large and XX-large designs. 1 top handle on small and medium designs. Side grooves can also act as handles |
| Construction | Locking snaps hold the kennel halves together Metal hardware locks Bolts and nuts Reinforced locking hinges |
| Interior | Smooth plastic, you can buy a cushion separately which is designed to fit inside this crate. Floor gutter design for easy and contained clean up. |
| Water facilities | Includes two clip on water dishes |
| Other | Snap on, snap off removable lockable wheels on all sizes except small 4 live animal stickers included. Also has tie down holes for bungees required by some airlines. |
You can purchase this crate here
2. Petmate Sky Kennel
Rating: 4 stars on Amazon, over 2000 customer reviews
Price: $82AUD – $262AUD depending on size
Review:
Coming in at a close second is the Petmate Sky Kennel which is rated a half star less than the SkyPet crate on Amazon and is also slightly more expensive than the prior.
It also complies very well with the rules set out by the IATA. It is made from light grey durable hard plastic and features 360 degrees ventilation.
The crate is constructed from recycled plastic, non-corrodible wing nuts and steel wire. It has a secure 4-way vault door which prevents sliding and shifting. There are wire mesh windows on the two long sides and ventilation holes on the back side.
Unfortunately the dimensions given are not internal but rather from the outermost edge. I have included the specifications below in both inches and centimetres. If you do purchase this crate keep this in mind as the size formula above calculates internal measurements. Add a few inches/centimetres to the dimensions you get above.
A bonus to this product is that it comes with water bowls that clip on to the wire mesh door. This style of bowl is fantastic as it can be easily filled up by airline crew from the outside of the crate without opening the door.
This product also gives you free “Live Animal” stickers and ID stickers which are mandatory to display on the outside of your crate under IATA crate regulations.
Specifications:
| Material | Durable Hard Plastic |
| Colour | Light grey, black |
| Dimensions | Small: 21”L x 16”W x 15”H / 53cm L x 40cm W x 38cm H Medium: 28”L x 20.5”W x 21.5”H / 71cm L x 53cm W x 55cm H Large: 32”L x 22.5”W x 24”H / 81.2cm L x 57cm W x 61cm H Extra-Large: 40”L x 27”W x 30”H / 101cm L x 69cm W x 76.2cm H |
| Weight | Small: 6.02lb/2.7kg Medium: 12.5lb/5.6kg Large: 16lb/7.2kg Extra-Large: 30.48lb/13.8kg |
| Recommended Pet Size | Small: Up to 15lb/7kg Medium: 23lb – 25lb/10kg – 11kg Large: 30 -50lb/13kg – 22kg Extra Large: 70 – 90lb/ 32kg – 40kg |
| Ventilation | 360 degree ventilation. Wire vent windows on all sides. |
| Door | Secure single piece 4-way metal vault door which prevents sliding and shifting |
| Handles | Yes |
| Construction | Non-corrodible wing nuts Steel wire. Made from recycled materials. |
| Interior | Smooth plastic |
| Water facilities | Comes with clip on bowls |
| Other | Includes 2 “Live Animal” stickers, ID stickers |
You can purchase this crate here
3. Petmate Compass Plastic Pets Kennel with Chrome Door
Rating: 4 stars on amazon, 950+ customer reviews
Price: $45AUD – $155AUD
Review:
This final crate is a cheaper alternative to the previous two. It has an average 4 star rating on Amazon. It is quite similar to the SportPet design in the fact that it comes in two pieces that clips together.
This crate meets most IATA requirements including the use of rigid plastic material, ventilation, solid leak proof floor and multiple size options. However it doesn’t feature access to hydration (you have to buy your own bowls separately) and there are no live animal stickers either.
A stand out feature of this crate is it’s versatile two-way opening door design. This allows easy access for dogs entering and exiting the crate. The door is also fully removable. Features slide assembly with 4 bolts for security.
Specifications:
| Material | Heavy Duty Plastic |
| Colour | Pearl White and Black |
| Dimensions | Extra Small: 19″ x 12.7″ x 11.5″ / 48.2cm x 32.2cm x 29.2cm Small: 24.6″ x 16.8″ x 15″ / 62.4cm x 42.6cm x 38.1cm Medium: 28″ x 20″ x 19.2″ / 71.1cm x 50.8 cm x 48.7 cm Large: 32″ x 21″ x 22.9″ / 81.2cm x 53cm x 58.1cm Extra Large: 36″ x 23″ x 26.7″ / 91.4cm x 58.4cm x 67.8cm |
| Weight | The actual weight of the product is not provided |
| Recommended Pet Size | Extra Small: 10lbs / 4.5kg Small: 10 – 20lbs / 4.5kg – 9kg Medium: 20 – 30lbs / 9kg – 14kg Large: 30 – 50lbs / 14kg – 23kg Extra Large: 50 – 70lbs / 23kg – 32kg |
| Ventilation | Upper and lower holes in plastic as ventilation openings on all sides of the kennel. Can remove door completely |
| Door | Double hinge doors made of steel Multiple secure turn dial latches |
| Handles | On the top and grooves on the sides can be used as handles |
| Construction | Quick, slide and snap assembly which is secured by a four bolt design No tools required. |
| Interior | Smooth plastic |
| Water facilities | Not included, you can attach water bowl to door |
You can purchase it here
You can find out more about travelling on a plane with your pooch by reading my guide on how to fly interstate with a dog here.
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