Air China Pet Policy 2026

For travelers who wish to bring their dogs on flights, Air China provides well-structured procedures designed to ensure their comfort and safety. The Air China pet policy 2026 allows several types of animals, including dogs and cats, depending on whether they are flying in the cabin, as checked baggage, or via cargo services. Pet owners can better comprehend the guidelines and limitations, which cover costs, health records, and container size, with the help of this policy. The airline also gives animal welfare a priority, as well as provides a range of options to accommodate different travel needs. Hence, both travelers and their pets can find this journey more convenient and easier. 

Understanding the Air China Pet Policy 2026

To ensure a smooth journey, there are guidelines to adhere to when traveling with pets on Air China. Based on its breed and size, the pets on Air China can be flown as airline cargo, as checked luggage, or as carry-on. 

• Dogs and cats that are ill, pregnant, younger than eight weeks, nursing, or who have given birth within the last seven days will not be allowed to travel.
• It is not permitted to transport cats, dogs, or crossbreeds that are violent, dangerous to humans, prone to respiratory problems, or snub-nosed, including but not limited to:
  • Terriers 
  • Bull dogs
  • Mastiffs
  • American Staffordshire Terriers 
  • Boxers
  • Pugs 

• American Pur Bull Terriers
• English Toy Spaniels 
• Bullmastiffs
• Lhasa apsos
• Chow Chow 
• Shar-pies
• Pitbulls
• Brazilian mastiffs
• English cocker spaniels
• King Charles spaniels
• Affenpinschers
• Pekingese 
• Japanese china
• Shih tzus
• Japanese mastiffs
• Dogo Argenitos
• Himalayan cats
• Exotic Shorthair cats 
• Brazilian mastiffs
• Burmese cats 
• Persian cats

Air China Pet as Checked Luggage

According to the Air China pets policy, pets must be placed in cargo compartments with oxygen supplies while they are being transported as checked baggage. Pets cannot be transported in the cargo compartments of certain Air China aircraft models, including the A319, A320, 737-8MAX, and ARJ21-700, since they lack oxygen supplies.

If fliers bring pets as checked luggage, they will still be held completely responsible. Further, when a pet becomes ill, hurt, or dies while being transported for causes unrelated to Air China, the carrier will not be responsible.

Prerequisites for Carriage

In case passengers need their Air China pets to travel as checked luggage, they make sure to apply at the time of booking. Pets are only allowed to travel once Air China gives its clearance.

• Each traveler is only permitted to check in one pet.
• No pet may weigh more than 32 kg, including the weight of the food and water in the pet container.
• Moreover, no later than 120 minutes prior to departure on the day of travel, one must personally check the pet in at the airport.
• On the back of the baggage tag, there is a declaration of exemption from liability that one must accept and sign when checking in small animals.
• Further, as of right now, Air China does not provide pet transportation services with other airlines.
• As per the pet policy of Air China, wet-leased flights operated by Air China do not allow the transport of small animals.
• For details on certain aircraft routes, travelers can give 95583 a call.

Transport Records/Documents

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) has to issue a quarantine certificate for the pet when passengers are traveling domestically. In addition to presenting a quarantine certificate for the pet issued by the AQSIQ, they must make sure that they meet all applicable pet transportation regulations for the nations they are entering, leaving, or transiting, if they are traveling internationally or domestically.

Air China will temporarily ban dogs from being transported on flights to the United States beginning February 1, 2026. In compliance with the Air China pet policy 2026, these consist of canines checked in as pets and guide or hearing dogs accompanying people with disabilities.

The air operator can provide a ticket alteration or refund when guests have successfully scheduled the transportation of the dog as checked or cabin baggage. Further, in order to promptly restore the aforementioned services, Air China will keep in touch with the CDC in the United States. 

Criteria for Pet Carriers

Customers need to get their pets on Air China, a travel carrier that satisfies airline regulations and properly fastens them.

• The locking latches on any pet carrier with a removable roof that has been certified for use on airplanes must be complete, with no nuts, bolts, or locks missing. 
• An extra exterior locking mechanism must be used to seal doors, but it must not injure the pet in any way. 
• Travel agencies that don’t adhere to air travel regulations aren’t allowed to fly with Air China. 
• Specifically, the following characteristics must not be present in travel carriers:
  • Hard plastic or fiberglass doors.
  • Ventilations or openings are holes big enough to allow the Air China pets’ noses or paws to pass through.
  • More doors on the roof or apertures for ventilation on the side walls’ lower ends.
  • There is no wire mesh covering the apertures on either side of the container next to the door.

• Fiberglass, metal, rigid plastic, welded mesh, and hardwood are the only materials available. 
• Air transportation is not appropriate for containers made solely of wire solder or welded mesh.
• Three sides of the container must have ventilation apertures in the upper third of the walls. 
• At least sixteen percent of the four Air China pet container walls’ surfaces must be devoted to ventilation apertures. 
• If more ventilation is needed, then more holes can be drilled in the container’s sides or on top.
• The container itself should have a door at one end that forms one side of the container. 
• As a locking mechanism, the door needs to have a sliding chain or hinge.
• To stop urine and excrement from seeping through, the carrier’s floor needs to be firm. 
• In order to stop leaks, absorbent bedding should also be supplied.
• Owing to the Air China pet policy 2026, the shipper is responsible for making sure the container’s roof is sturdy.
• There needs to be a fixed water container in the pet container so that water may be added without opening the container.

What is the Air China Pet Cargo Policy?

Air China provides the option to carry larger dogs or cats in the cargo hold if they are too big to fit in the cabin. According to the Air China pet cargo policy, the following are some crucial factors to take into account:

• A veterinarian must perform a comprehensive health assessment on the pet before it leaves. 
• This certification guarantees that the pet is disease-free and suitable for air travel.
• Pets must be transported in the cargo hold of Air China in a robust crate that has been certified by the airline.
• The pet should be able to sit, stand, and turn around in the box with ease.
• Temperature and pressure controls are installed in the cargo hold to guarantee the welfare of pets during the trip.

Air China Pet Policy for Service Dogs

Guide dogs, hearing dogs, and other unique canines trained to help disabled persons in their daily lives and at work are referred to as service dogs. The requirements for small pets on Air China transportation and check-in procedures apply to emotional comfort dogs, which are not service dogs.

• A minimum age of 16 is required for passengers with visual or auditory impairments who fly with cabin transport service dogs alone.
• When purchasing a ticket and traveling, the service dogs must present with the necessary certifications.
• The country of the departure, transit, or destination station must issue valid official quarantine certificates, rabies vaccination certificates, and related professional training certifications.
• Based on the Air China pet policy 2026, service dogs have valid chips when traveling into China or on international (or regional) passenger flights.
• Additionally, while traveling abroad, please study the entry-exit nations’ quarantine policies for assistance dogs beforehand and make sure they comply with their criteria.
• If any of the following circumstances arise, then Air China may decline to provide transport service dogs:
  • The assistance dog directly endangers the health or the safety of other travelers.
  • Further, the assistance dog seriously disrupts the flight or the airport gate.
  • Owing to the Air China pets in cabin policy, taking the assistance dogs on a trip will be against the rules or specifications of the appropriate government organizations.
  • If Air China is unable to provide transport service dogs, then it will, if necessary, give passengers written justifications within ten days of the rejection.

Service Animals During Flight Service

As much as Air China can, it shall offer service support to disabled people traveling alone with service dogs in the cabin. However, the air operator is unable to offer medical services, assistance with eating, assistance using the restroom, or assistance with excretory function while seated.

• In line with the Air China pets in cabin policy, the assistance dog must tie a towing line and wear a work shirt before boarding. 
• Travelers might not have to wear a mouthpiece for the assistance dog if the appropriate passengers agree. 
• In addition to not occupying a seat or running around at will, the service dog must not interfere with other passengers. 
• Passengers with disabilities who have assistance dogs are accountable for keeping their dogs out of the cabin and making sure that onboard hygiene is maintained. 
• The disabled passengers who have the service dog will be responsible for paying for any material damage or personal injuries the dog causes to Air China or other passengers.

Fees for Air China Pet Travel

The pets on Air China, along with their kennel and supplies, will not be considered free baggage allowance regardless of the kind of animal one brings on a flight. Consequently, it will be regarded as special luggage. Therefore, it is necessary to pay the extra baggage cost at the check-in counter.

• For domestic flights, the cost can be charged as regular excess luggage fees. 
• This can be applied based on the actual weight of the pet carrier. 

Piece Concept for Regional and International Flights

What is the Booking Procedure for Air China Pet Travel?

On Air China, reservations must be made in advance for dogs, cats, etc. As per the Air China pets policy, this can be accomplished by contacting the agents of this airline or via Air China official website. 

With an online process, fliers need to come to the main website of Air China. Here, they need to log in to their existing account. To add a pet, follow the onscreen instructions, submit the documents, and pay the required fees. 

Further, with an offline procedure, travelers need to speak with the agents over the phone. Once the call is connected, give all details and request a booking. Moreover, provide the digital documents and pay the applicable fees for Air China pets. 

The following are the phone numbers based on the location:

Reservation for Services

In accordance with the pet policy of Air China, visitors should make reservations 48 hours prior to the departure of the flights through the Air China ticket office or an authorized sales agent if they must bring a service dog.

Some Useful Links Related to Air China

• Air China First Class Ticket

In Consolidation, 

Air China offers a range of pet-friendly travel options with an emphasis on comfort and security. Pet owners who follow carrier requirements, health documents, and cost guidelines can fly with this airline without any stress, according to the Air China pet policy 2026. These regulations provide a balance between animal welfare and passenger comfort.

FAQs on Air China Pet Policy 2026