What methods of transport does AirBaltic provide for my pet?
- Travel in the passenger cabin.
- Checked as baggage in pressurized and temperature controlled area of your aircraft.
- Shipped as cargo in pressurized and temperature controlled area.
Does my pet qualify for travel in the passenger cabin?
A dog or cat may be transported in the cabin (as hand luggage) in the passenger’s own carrier box if the weight of the animal + box does not exceed 8 kg. Please note that the bag or container must be entirely closable and must stay closed with your pet inside of it under the seat in front of you during the entire flight. Before your flight, please read few other important rules:
- Max. dimensions of the container: 55 x 40 x 23 cm (length x width x height);
- The animal must fit comfortably in the box or container, have enough space to stand up in its natural position, turn around and lie down. Otherwise, check-in may be denied;
- The box can contain a maximum of 2 pets as long as they are of the same kind;
- Each passenger may carry only one container;
- The container must be entirely closeable;
- A passenger travelling with an infant cannot transport an animal in the cabin;
- The pet must remain in its container throughout the entire flight;
- The pet must be odorless;
- The container must be well-ventilated and may not be easily destructible by the animal inside of it;
- The pet must not require any attention in transit, nor be objectionable to other passengers;
- A passenger with a pet may not be seated in an emergency exit row;
- A passenger with a pet may only be seated in window seats.
- Pet transportation in the cabin costs a non-refundable fee of 60 EUR per direction.
- If your trip includes a stopover in Riga exceeding 24 hours, the pet transportation fee will be applied to each flight separately.
Does my pet qualify for travel as checked baggage?
Animals that cannot be transported inside the cabin (as hand luggage) shall be transported in appropriate, animal-friendly containers in the cargo hold area (as checked baggage). Passengers must provide their own container for animal transportation.
- The weight of the animal + container may not exceed 75 kg;
- The maximum dimensions of the container are 80 x 156 x 86 cm (width x length x height);
- The animal must fit comfortably in the crate; otherwise, check-in may be denied. The transport container must be large enough for the animal to stand in its natural position, to turn around and to lie down;
- A maximum of two animals of the same kind (two cats or two dogs) of comparable size and weighing up to 14 kg each can be transported in one crate;
- A maximum of three young animals (up to 6 months old) are allowed in one crate;
- The number of pets that may accompany the owner or an authorized person during a single non-commercial movement cannot exceed five;
- The transport container must be designed to be leak-proof, e.g. lined with absorbent material such as cardboard or blankets;
- The container must be escape-proof. We recommend sturdy plastic or wood containers made from harmless and non-toxic materials. Wire-mesh and soft sided cages will be not accepted for transportation;
- To prevent the animal from injuring itself, the interior of the container must not have any sharp corners, edges or nails;
- If the container has castors, these must be removed;
- Food and water bowls must be attached to the inside of the container. The material must be harmless and non-toxic;
- Transport containers must have ventilation holes on at least three sides;
- The animal’s lead, harness or tether does not belong in the transport container – it must be tied or affixed to the top of the container. You can also carry it in your hand luggage. This ensures that there is no risk of your animal strangling itself in the container;
- Any container with an animal exceeding the total weight of 32 kg must be equipped with at least 2 handles;
- If a pet is to be transported in the cargo compartment, the pet must be checked-in at least 1 hour before the scheduled flight.
Animal transportation in the cargo hold costs a non-refundable fee of:
- 100 EUR per direction if the weight of the animal + container is 1-32 kg;
- 200 EUR per direction if the weight of the animal + container exceeds 32 kg (up to 75 kg).
Please note: all animals that exceed the weight of 75 kg (animal + container) shall be transported as manifested cargo only.
Does my pet qualify to be shipped as cargo?
Outside Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania this service is available via our partners - airfreight forwarders or agents. If you wish to send or receive animals as cargo you have to contact our agents to make an order. As this service may differ from agent to agent, we have listed all our partners for you to find the best service possible. Please refer to the list of Sales agents.
If you wish to transport animals from Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia, we recommend you contact agents in possession of a Live Animal Regulations training certificate from the International Air Transport Association (IATA LAR). They will advise you about special packaging, documentation and requirements for live animal shipments, quote a price and provide a reservation service.
What are the fees associated with pet transport?
Pet transportation in the cabin costs a non-refundable fee of 60 EUR per direction.
Animal transportation in the cargo hold costs a non-refundable fee of:
- 100 EUR per direction if the weight of the animal + container is 1-32 kg;
- 200 EUR per direction if the weight of the animal + container exceeds 32 kg (up to 75 kg).
What are the kennel requirements?
In addition to the size and weight maximums kennels must meet the following requirements:
- Max. dimensions of the container: 55 x 40 x 23 cm (length x width x height);
- The animal must fit comfortably in the box or container, have enough space to stand up in its natural position, turn around and lie down. Otherwise, check-in may be denied;
- The box can contain a maximum of 2 pets as long as they are of the same kind;
- Each passenger may carry only one container;
- The container must be entirely closeable;
- A passenger travelling with an infant cannot transport an animal in the cabin;
- The pet must remain in its container throughout the entire flight;
- The pet must be odorless;
- The container must be well-ventilated and may not be easily destructible by the animal inside of it.
What health documentation is required?
Mandatory documents required travelling within EU member state:
- ID-marking microchip
- Pet passport
- Anti-rabies vaccination
Please note! Pets may only be accepted for transportation with vaccine protection against rabies. In view of the fact that the primary vaccination against rabies may be administered at the age of 12 weeks at the earliest and given that it takes a further 21 days afterwards to develop effective immunity, pets may be only accepted for transportation on AirBaltic flights at the age of 15 weeks at the earliest.
Please make sure that you find out about the import and export regulations applicable to your pet in your departure, transit and destination countries in plenty of time and before booking your flight. Such information is available from the relevant consulates, for example. Furthermore, AirBaltic reserves the right to apply even stricter regulations and to refuse the booking on certain routes, if necessary, in order to exclude the animal from travel. Please also ask your vet about applicable animal welfare provisions for travelling with your pet. Obtain all the travel documentation required for your pet so that nothing stands in the way of your trip.
In the event of AirBaltic having to refuse the carriage of your pet because of non-compliance with the regulations, AirBaltic is not liable for any resulting costs (e.g. rebooking charges, animal boarding costs, hotel accommodation).
Are there any other restrictions?
Special AirBaltic rules apply to flights to/from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland and the United Arab Emirates.
On AirBaltic flights TO the United Kingdom, Iceland, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates:
- Animals allowed as manifested cargo only.
- It is not allowed to bring pets into the cabin of the aircraft (as hand luggage), nor to transport them in the cargo hold (as checked baggage).
On airBaltic flights FROM the United Kingdom, Iceland, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates:
- Animals allowed in Cargo hold only (as checked baggage) or manifested cargo.
- It is not allowed to bring pets into the cabin (as hand luggage), except for service dogs.
For other relevant information please visit here for United Kingdom or here for Ireland.
Informing the Airline Information:
Information about the pet must be provided when booking the ticket. This information is important to the airline as there are strict regulations to be followed. Please contact us if booking tickets online, or inform your travel agent if booking your ticket at a travel agency.
Only a certain number of pets are allowed on each flight. If the number of pets exceeds the quota on a particular flight, or if the aircraft configuration does not allow for animal transportation, the airline can refuse transportation.
Please note that the service must be requested in advance as prior confirmation is required. Upon receiving the confirmation, payment must be arranged via our online payment service in a timely manner.
Please contact the airline directly for information about traveling with a service animal.
