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Specialized ventilated animal transport container secured inside a cargo aircraft
Air Cargo

Live Animal Cargo Charter and AVI Flights

Submit a live animal transport request for horses, livestock, breeding animals or other eligible species. Vetted Broker Partners can independently assess the route, species, animal numbers, containers, welfare arrangements and regulatory requirements before proposing an operator-led charter solution, subject to aircraft availability, operator acceptance and all applicable veterinary, CITES, import, transit and quarantine rules.

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Information needed to assess an AVI charter

Live-animal transport starts with an accurate shipment profile. Species, numbers, individual weights, health status, containers, dates, origin, transit and destination affect feasibility. Vetted Broker Partners can use this information to approach operators, while the owner and shipper remain responsible for accuracy and for involving qualified veterinarians and welfare specialists. Age, sex, identification, behavioral considerations, consignee, CITES status, import notices and quarantine arrangements should also be disclosed because changes can affect acceptance, routing, price and timing.

  • Animal profile: Provide the common and scientific species names where relevant, animal count, age or life stage, sex, individual or total weight, dimensions, identification details and any known health or behavioral considerations.
  • Route and timing: State the collection point, proposed airports, final destination, date flexibility, permitted transit points and any maximum journey, rest, feeding, watering or quarantine constraints identified by the responsible specialists.
  • Supporting parties: Identify the owner, shipper, consignee, appointed veterinarian, animal attendants and customs or specialist agents expected to participate, with their respective responsibilities and contact details.

Containers, aircraft acceptance and ground handling

Container design, aircraft compatibility and airport handling must be assessed for the species and mission. IATA Live Animals Regulations (LAR) may apply alongside operator procedures and national rules. The shipper remains responsible for compliant containers; the operator and handlers confirm whether animals, containers, loading method, aircraft and airports are acceptable. Door dimensions, loading position, restraint, ventilation paths, ground time, equipment and contingency access influence the decision. Stalls, attendants, feeding, watering or transfers are not automatic and require express mission confirmation.

  • Container information: Supply container type, certification or supporting specification where applicable, internal and external dimensions, empty and loaded weight, ventilation openings, access points, absorbent material and provisions for feeding and watering.
  • Aircraft assessment: The proposed operator determines usable deck space, door access, floor-loading limits, restraint, segregation, airflow, loading sequence and any operational restrictions before accepting the shipment.
  • Handling plan: Origin, transit and destination handlers confirm available facilities, equipment, trained personnel, ramp procedures, holding areas and transfer arrangements; no handling capability is assumed until expressly confirmed.

Welfare, onboard environment and veterinary planning

The owner and appointed veterinarians define health, fitness-to-travel and welfare requirements, while the operator confirms the environmental and handling arrangements supported by the proposed aircraft. The request should specify temperature, ventilation, lighting, feeding, watering, monitoring, medication and authorized decision-makers where relevant. The proposal can then document available settings, measurement arrangements, supervision and escalation roles for the particular animal movement. Crate dimensions, accompanying handlers and stopover arrangements should be confirmed together, since they affect which aircraft remains suitable.

  • Veterinary instructions: Provide current health information, prescribed care, medication and emergency instructions from the responsible veterinarian, including any applicable dangerous-goods requirements for medicines, batteries, dry ice or accompanying equipment.
  • Environmental parameters: State the specialist-defined acceptable ranges and monitoring needs. The operator decides available settings, measurement methods and crew actions, subject to aircraft capability, safety and operating conditions.
  • Attendants and equipment: Flying grooms, veterinary escorts, stalls, dividers, feed, water and welfare equipment apply only when accepted and confirmed by the responsible providers; equipment traveling separately may require a separate cargo proposal.

Veterinary, CITES, import and quarantine requirements

Cross-border animal movements may require veterinary certificates, testing, identification, export or import permits, CITES documents, advance notices and quarantine. Requirements vary by species, countries and route. The owner and shipper remain responsible for complete, accurate documents with support from veterinarians, customs representatives and specialists. Identifying authorities, inspection points, consignee and permit sequence can expose gaps, but authorities decide admissibility, inspection, quarantine, clearance and release. A flight schedule never guarantees acceptance of an animal or document.

  • Veterinary records: Confirm the certificates, examinations, vaccinations, laboratory tests, endorsements and validity periods required with the appointed veterinarian and the competent authorities in every relevant jurisdiction.
  • CITES and trade controls: Determine whether the specimens and proposed movement are subject to CITES or other wildlife, breeding, trade-control or ownership rules, and obtain the necessary permits from the competent authorities.
  • Arrival planning: Verify import notices, inspection appointments, approved entry points, quarantine space, consignee readiness and onward transport. Flight timing does not guarantee border processing, quarantine admission or release.

Frequently asked questions about live animal and AVI cargo charter requests

AVI charter feasibility depends on the animals, containers, route, operator acceptance and regulatory requirements. These answers explain how a request is assessed and where responsibility remains. They are general information only: owners, shippers and their appointed veterinarians and specialists must verify health, welfare, documentation, permit, CITES, import and quarantine requirements for each movement.

Provide the species, animal count, age or life stage, sex, individual and total weights, identification details, health and behavioral considerations, container specifications, preferred dates, origin, transit and destination points, and consignee information. Also identify the owner, shipper, appointed veterinarian and any attendants or specialist agents. Include known veterinary certificates, tests, permits, CITES status, import notices and quarantine arrangements. Missing or changing information can affect feasibility, operator acceptance, routing, price and timing.

Potentially, subject to the individual horses, route, suitable containers or aviation stalls, aircraft availability, operator acceptance, handler capability and all veterinary and import requirements. The owner and appointed veterinarian remain responsible for health, fitness to travel and welfare instructions. Flying grooms, veterinary escorts, stall layouts, feeding, watering and ground transfers are not automatic services; they must be sourced, assessed and expressly confirmed by the relevant Broker Partner and contracted providers for the specific mission.

The owner and appointed specialists should state the species-specific acceptable parameters and monitoring needs. The proposed operator then determines whether the aircraft, loading position and operating procedures can support them and confirms any available settings or monitoring arrangements. Conditions can be affected by aircraft capability, loading, ground time, weather and operational constraints. IONA JETS does not set, monitor or guarantee temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting or air quality, and no continuous sensor coverage or corrective response should be assumed unless contractually confirmed.

The owner and shipper remain responsible for accurate, complete and timely documents, supported by their appointed veterinarians, customs representatives and other specialists. Depending on the movement, these may include health certificates, identification and vaccination records, laboratory results, export or import permits, CITES documents and quarantine confirmations. Broker Partners may coordinate confirmed third-party services, but do not replace the responsible professionals or authorities. Only the competent authorities determine document acceptance, inspection, border clearance, quarantine and release.

IONA JETS is a Swiss digital referral platform. It is not an air charter broker, freight forwarder, carrier, aircraft operator, ground handler, customs broker, insurer, packer, shipper, consignee or provider of any transport or related service described on this page. IONA JETS does not own, operate, charter, dispatch, load or supervise aircraft; negotiate or conclude transport contracts; or provide forwarding, customs, handling, storage, screening, packaging, certification, insurance or delivery services. The platform only makes eligible requests available to independent participating Broker Partners. Broker Partners, operators and all other third-party providers act under their own licenses, approvals, contracts, terms, procedures and insurance. IONA JETS verifies Broker Partners against platform participation criteria but neither performs nor supervises any mission-specific operator, aircraft, crew, handler, warehouse, customs, insurance or provider checks. The selected Broker Partner is solely responsible for sourcing and assessing the proposed operator, issuing its proposal, contracting and coordinating the confirmed scope. The operator retains sole operational control and responsibility for the aircraft, crew, load acceptance, loading limits, aircraft suitability, routing and performance of the flight. Other providers and authorities remain responsible for their own decisions and services. Any proposal, availability, price, routing, schedule, aircraft, capacity, payload, permit, acceptance, handling arrangement, service level and delivery estimate is determined and confirmed solely by the relevant Broker Partner and contracted providers. All remain subject to operational, technical, regulatory, customs, security, weather, airport, infrastructure and market constraints. Submitting a request does not guarantee a response, proposal, booking, aircraft, capacity, route, price, saving, departure, arrival, delivery, customs release or other result. Users must review the proposal, contractual parties, carrier identity, insurance, limitations of liability, cargo conditions, cancellation terms and supporting documents before booking. Any transport or related service is contracted directly with the identified Broker Partner and/or third-party provider. IONA JETS is not a party to those contracts and assumes no carrier, broker, forwarding, handling, customs, storage, insurance or delivery obligation. Nothing on this page constitutes legal, customs, tax, trade-control, security, dangerous-goods, packaging, insurance or technical advice. For live-animal requests, IONA JETS does not provide veterinary, animal-welfare, CITES, quarantine, import, export or species-classification advice and does not inspect animals, containers, facilities, records or environmental systems. The owner and shipper, advised by their appointed veterinarians and specialists, remain responsible for the animals' health, fitness to travel, welfare plan, lawful ownership, accurate species information, suitable containers and complete documentation. The operator, handlers, veterinarians and competent authorities independently determine acceptance, aircraft and container suitability, handling, onboard conditions, permits, inspections, quarantine, border clearance and release. Any groom, veterinary escort, temperature, ventilation, monitoring or special-handling arrangement applies only if expressly confirmed by the responsible contracted provider. IONA JETS does not guarantee animal welfare, health or condition, any onboard environment, permit, acceptance, border passage, quarantine outcome or delivery result. IONA JETS receives remuneration from a Broker Partner when a referred request results in a confirmed booking. *Cashback is available only on eligible bookings under the IONA JETS Loyalty Program terms. Eligibility, amount, timing and payment remain subject to those terms, and no cashback is earned or payable unless all applicable conditions are satisfied.