The Turkish Airlines pet policy 2024 includes various options for flying with dogs or cats in the cabin and hold, or as cargo with Turkish Cargo. Details of the Turkish Airlines pet policy for travelling on international and transatlantic flights with your cat or dog are included. For dogs and cats in the cabin or hold, or those travelling as cargo, pets must be at least 10 weeks old. When flying with dogs and cats in either the cabin or cargo hold with Turkish Airlines, pets must be able to move around within their carrier, The price for flying your pet in a Turkish Airlines cabin or cargo hold varies, depending on the route, method of travel and the size of your pet. Turkish Airlines pet travel rules do not allow for cats and dogs on certain flights, or to specific international destinations. In addition, the Turkish Airlines dog policy doesn’t accept certain breeds either in the cabin or cargo hold. From 2021, Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are no longer recognised by Turkish Airlines, and most other airlines. Only professionally trained Assistance and Service Animals are permitted. ESAs must travel under the standard Turkish Airlines pet travel policy, but Psychiatric Service Dogs are permitted on flights to and from the USA. However, be aware that there’s currently a ban on dogs being imported to the USA from more than 100 high risk rabies countries, including Turkey. You can check out pet travel reviews for Turkish Airlines or leave a Turkish Airlines pet travel review. Read on for the full Turkish Airlines pet policy for 2024.
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Table of contents
- Does Turkish Airlines Allow Pets in the Cabin?
- Does Turkish Airlines Allow Pets in the Hold as Checked Baggage?
- Does Turkish Airlines Fly Pets in the Hold as Cargo?
- Banned Turkish Airlines Dog Breeds
- Turkish Airlines Snub Nosed Cat & Dog Breed Policy
- Turkish Airlines Policy for Assistance & Service Dogs
- Turkish Airlines Policy for Emotional Support Animals & Psychiatric Service Dogs
- Pet Travel Documentation & Vaccines
- Air France Excluded Pet Flight Routes
- Are Pets Safe on Planes?
- Related Pages
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Does Turkish Airlines Allow Pets in the Cabin?
Dogs, cats and small singing birds, such as parakeets, budgies and canaries, are accepted by Turkish Airlines in the cabin, up to a combined weight of 8kg, including their travel bag.
A one pet per passenger rule is in place, but more than two pets of the same species may travel together in the same travel crate, as long as they don’t weigh more than 8 kg whilst in their carrier.
The travel bag or kennel must meet the Turkish Airlines specifications outlined in their pet travel policy. The maximum dimensions permitted for your pet carrier by Turkish Airlines are L 23 x H 30 x W 40 cm. On the flight, the travel bag will be stowed underneath the seat in front of you, you can’t remove your cat or dog (or canary!) during the flight for safety reasons.
Cats and dogs, or cats and birds are not permitted on the same Turkish Airlines plane, whether or not they are separated by cabins. Dogs and birds may be carried in different cabins, or in the same cabin at the furthest distance possible.
IATA Regulations for Cats & Dogs Flying in the Cabin
While you need to ensure that your pet’s travel crate meets the maximum dimensions set by Turkish Airlines to fly in the cabin, remember that you must also adhere to the Live Animal Regulations (LAR) set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This includes calculating the minimum inner crate dimensions allowed by the IATA LAR for your cat or dog to fly in the cabin. In addition, the airline pet travel carrier must adhere to the criteria set by the IATA LAR, in terms of ventilation, design etc.
If you’re new to pet travel, check out 8 IATA Compliant Airline Pet in Cabin Carriers.
Turkish Airlines Pet in Cabin Price
Domestic Flights 120 TRY
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 300 TRY
For international flights, the pet in cabin price with Turkish Airlines is calculated depending on the route and weight of your pet in their carrier. If your route includes a connecting flight, you will be charged 160 USD per pet carrier.
Does Turkish Airlines Allow Pets in the Hold as Checked Baggage?
If your cat or dog weighs more than 8 kg, they must travel in the hold as checked baggage in accordance with the Turkish Airlines international pet policy 2024. Birds, such as pigeons and parrots, must travel in the hold.
A maximum of three puppies or kittens, aged 10 to 24 weeks, and born of the same mother, may be transported in a single crate in the aircraft hold. Pets of the same species, each weighing a maximum of 14 kg for dogs, and 10 kg for cats, similarly sized and familiar with each other, may be transported in a single pet kennel. If each dog weighs more than 14 kg, or cats weight more than 10 kg, they must have their own pet travel crate.
In the aircraft hold a maximum of two adult animals of the same species (each weighing maximum 14 kg for dogs and each weighing maximum 10 kg for cats, similarly sized and familiar with each other) may be transported in a single crate in the aircraft hold. If each animal weighs more than 14 kg (dogs) and 10 kg (cats), it must have its own crate.
IATA Requirements for Pets Flying in Hold
For the safety of your pet during air transport, the airline travel kennel must meet the legal requirements of the Live Animal Regulations (LAR) set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Therefore, in addition to ensuring that your cat or dog in their travel crate adheres to the maximum weight and dimensions set by Turkish Airlines, the minimum inner kennel dimensions defined by the IATA LAR must also be met.
You can calculate the minimum inner space permitted by the IATA LAR, in addition to learning about the required construction, design etc for the pet in hold travel crate.
Should you need a new travel kennel, check out 4 Popular IATA Compliant Pet in Hold Crates.
Turkish Airlines Pet in Hold Price
The cost of flying a pet in the hold with Turkish Airlines depends on the combined weight of your pet in their carrier.
| Turkish Airlines Route | Small Pets (under 16kg) | Medium Pets (16-22kg) | Large Pets (23-28.9kg) | Pets Weighing over 28kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Flights | 200 TRY | 250 TRY | 300 TRY | 350 TRY |
| Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus | 400 TRY | 500 TRY | 550 TRY | 600 TRY |
| International Flights | calculated by route & pet weight | calculated by route & pet weight | calculated by route & pet weight | calculated by route & pet weight |
Note that if you have a flight connection, and your pet is flying in the hold with Turkish Airlines, an additional fee of 320 USD is charged for each pet crate.
Does Turkish Airlines Fly Pets in the Hold as Cargo?
In some cases, your pet may have to fly as cargo, rather than as checked baggage. For instance, if you’re travelling on a different flight as your pet, or flying to a country that doesn’t permit pets to arrive in the cabin.
For example, all animals, including cats and dogs must arrive in the United Kingdom (UK) as cargo, they can’t enter in the passenger cabin or in the hold as checked baggage. When flying to the UK, Turkish Airlines only transports cats and dogs as cargo, due to legislation set by the Department for Agriculture, Environment, Forestry and Agriculture (DEFRA).
To transport your pet as cargo, you will need to contact Turkish Cargo.
Banned Turkish Airlines Dog Breeds
The following breeds, classed as potentially dangerous dogs, aren’t permitted to fly in the cabin, or in the hold as checked baggage or cargo:
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
- Japanese Tosa
- Pitbull Terrier
Turkish Airlines Snub Nosed Cat & Dog Breed Policy
Snub-nosed (brachycephalic) animals, such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and Persian Cats, can have trouble breathing during the flight, due to high temperatures and stress. To ensure their well-being, most snub-nosed (brachycephalic) animals may not be transported in the hold. This means that these pets can only fly in the Turkish Airlines cabin, they aren’t allowed to travel as checked baggage in the hold of the plane.
It may also be possible to fly a snub nosed cat or dog as cargo with Turkish Airlines, but you should discuss this with your veterinarian.
When flying with a snub-nosed pet in the cabin, remember that you need to add 10% to your IATA compliant pet carrier calculation.
Turkish Airlines Policy for Assistance & Service Dogs
You may travel with your Assistance or Service Dog in the cabin free of charge with Turkish Airlines. It’s recommended that you make the request during booking and no less than 48 hours before your departure. But try to make the reservation as far in advance as possible.
Your Assistance or Service Dog must be fully trained and accredited, and their original documentation has to be provided at check in. Your Dog must also wear their identifying harness and vest.
Turkish Airlines Policy for Emotional Support Animals & Psychiatric Service Dogs
Turkish Airlines no longer accepts Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) for travel. Only registered and professionally trained Assistance & Service Dogs (SVANs) are accepted to travel in the cabin free of charge.
Note that trained Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSVDs) can travel under the Turkish Airlines Service Dog policy on flights to and from the US. Psychiatric Service Dogs differ from ESAs, as they have been trained to perform a specific task, or tasks, for their owner’s health and wellbeing. Therefore Psychiatric Service Dogs can fly under the Turkish Airlines pet travel policy for Assistance & Service Animals, due to US Department of Transport Rules. You must complete both a transportation form, as well as an attestation form in order to fly with a Psychiatric Service Dog.
All pets other than Assistance & Service Dogs, including Emotional Support Animals, must adhere to the standard Turkish Airlines pet policy, and comply with the size, weight and breed restrictions.
Pet Travel Documentation & Vaccines
Turkish Airlines is a Turkish international pet friendly airline.
For flights to the EU, your cat or dog has to meet the EU Pet Travel Scheme criteria. This means that you’ll need to arrange either a Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate, and ensure that your cat or dog is microchipped and vaccinated against Rabies.
You can also check out the pet travel laws for worldwide destinations in 2024.
Air France Excluded Pet Flight Routes
Air France doesn’t transport pets in the Business Cabin on intercontinental flights.
Due to government pet travel rules, you can’t fly your cat or dog in the cabin to certain countries. These rules are in place in some pet friendly destinations that are currently rabies free, in order to protect their borders. For example, when flying to the UK (Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland), all pets arriving on a plane must travel as cargo in the hold.
However, you can fly your cat or dog in the Air France passenger cabin on flights from the UK.
At present, the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) has extended the ban on dogs travelling to the USA from more than 100 high risk rabies countries. If your dog has visited any of these countries in the last six months, the same rules apply.
Are Pets Safe on Planes?
If you’re worried about your furry travel companion’s wellbeing when flying, check out our comprehensive post regarding pet safety on planes. While in the USA, a monthly report is provided for airline pet incident rates, there isn’t an equivalent in Europe or Asia at the moment. So, there’s no data available for incidents when flying pets in the hold with Turkish Airlines. Note that even the airline pet incident reports submitted in the USA are only for cats and dogs flying in the hold, and don’t include any in cabin events.
No doubt, at some point your trip will involve a car ride, so have a look at our 12 Essential Pet Car Safety Tips too. Should your cat or dog suffer from motion sickness, we’ve also compared some of the treatments, strategies and medications for pet travel nausea.
It’s important to be aware that you can’t sedate or tranquilize your cat or dog for their flight, whether your pet, or pets, are travelling in the Turkish Airlines cabin or hold.
In addition, to protect your pet’s health and wellbeing in a new country, be sure to keep your cat or dog safe from vector-borne diseases. In particular, Heartworm from mosquitoes and Leishmaniasis from sandflies pose a serious pet threat in Southern Europe.
You might also want to check out 10 Pet Friendly Airlines in the EU, Pets in Cabin from the UK and 7 Transatlantic Pet Friendly Airlines.
And don’t forget the all important Essential Pet Travel Accessories!
Prior to booking, always view the Turkish Airlines pet travel policy on their website for any recent changes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some airlines are frequently amending their rules for pets on planes.
Have a safe and wonderful trip, and remember to leave a pet travel review for Air France if you fly your pet cat or dog, in the cabin or hold!
