IndiGo and Air India Pet Policy 2026: Flying with Pets on Domestic Flights
By Ananya Singh (Ananya Singh writes step-by-step first-international-trip guides for Indians — passport rules, visa cascade timing, immigration walkthroughs, and the unglamorous logistics that separate a smooth trip from a stranded one.) · Published · 13 min read
Most Indian airlines do not accept pets the way you would expect, and the booking process is nothing like buying a passenger ticket. Here is the actual 2026 policy for IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa and the absorbed Vistara network.
The single biggest misconception about flying pets domestically in India
Almost every first-time pet-flying enquiry FlightGPT receives starts with the same question, phrased some version of: I have booked my flight to Bengaluru, can I just add my dog to the booking. The answer in 2026 is no. Domestic pet travel in India is not an online add-on, it is not a self-service product on any airline website, and it cannot be confirmed at the airport on the day of travel. It is a separate parallel booking that goes through the airline's cargo division or the reservations call centre, depending on the airline and the pet's size, with paperwork that must be in place 7 to 10 days in advance of the flight.
The reason this matters is that pet owners regularly arrive at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Chennai airport on travel day with a passenger ticket, a pet, an IATA crate they have bought online, and the expectation that someone will check them in. They are turned away. The pet does not fly. The owner either pays a frantic 6,000 to 12,000 rupees to a pet relocation agent for a same-week rebook, or boards alone and arranges separate cargo movement of the pet over the next 5 to 10 days. The emotional cost is high. None of it is necessary if the process is started two to three weeks ahead.
This article walks through the 2026 pet policy for every major Indian carrier — IndiGo, Air India, the absorbed Vistara network, SpiceJet, Akasa and Air India Express on domestic legs — plus the IATA crate requirements you cannot negotiate, the vet certification, the charges, and the routes where pets cannot fly at all even if you do everything right.
IndiGo pet policy 2026 — cargo only for almost all pets
IndiGo's pet policy in 2026 is conservative and tightly bounded. The carrier accepts pet animals on domestic flights only as manifest cargo through its cargo division, IndiGo CarGo. Cabin transport of pets is not permitted on IndiGo passenger flights except for trained service dogs accompanying passengers with documented disabilities, where the dog travels free at the passenger's feet with prior 48-hour notice to reservations and a valid service-dog certification.
For all other pets — household dogs, cats, birds in approved containers — the only path is cargo. The booking is made through IndiGo's cargo arm by calling the cargo reservations line at the origin city or working with an IATA-accredited pet shipper. The cargo booking is a separate AWB (air waybill) and a separate transaction from any passenger ticket. The pet does not need to travel on the same flight as the owner, though most owners prefer this and IndiGo CarGo accommodates it where the flight has live-animal hold availability.
The weight limit per consignment is pet plus crate, with charges calculated on a per-kg basis. The crate must be IATA CR82 compliant (covered in detail later in this article). IndiGo enforces a temperature embargo on certain summer flights when origin or destination ambient temperature is forecast above 35 degrees Celsius — affected flights typically include daytime departures from Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Nagpur in May and June. Booking is taken but loading is denied on the day if the temperature threshold is breached, and the pet is rebooked to the next eligible flight at no extra charge.
Charges in 2026 cleared at approximately 3,000 to 7,500 rupees per leg for a pet plus IATA crate in the 8 to 25 kg combined weight range. The exact tariff depends on the city pair, fuel surcharge and any handling premiums at the airport. IndiGo CarGo issues a formal pro-forma invoice at the time of booking which the owner must settle before the AWB is finalised.
Air India pet policy 2026 — limited cabin allowance and cargo
Air India is the only major Indian carrier in 2026 that permits a small number of pets in the passenger cabin on domestic flights, subject to strict conditions. The cabin pet allowance applies to dogs and cats only, with the combined weight of pet plus carrier not exceeding 5 kg. The carrier must be a soft-sided IATA-approved cabin pet bag fitting under the seat in front of the passenger, with dimensions no greater than 45 cm length, 30 cm width and 23 cm height.
The cabin pet allowance is capped at one pet per flight across the entire aircraft. This is a hard limit. If another passenger has already confirmed a cabin pet on your flight, you cannot bring yours regardless of size or paperwork. Booking is on a first-come basis through the Air India reservations call centre with a minimum 72-hour advance notice. The cabin pet fee in 2026 is 4,000 to 6,000 rupees per leg depending on sector. The pet must remain inside the carrier under the seat for the entire flight including taxi, take-off, cruise and landing — no removal at any point.
For pets above 5 kg, or where the single-cabin slot is already taken, Air India accepts pets in the cargo hold (AVI booking) on most narrow-body and wide-body domestic flights. The cargo path is handled through Air India SATS Cargo at the origin city. Booking requires a cargo AWB, the IATA-compliant crate, the vet health certificate within 10 days of travel, and pre-payment of charges typically in the 5,000 to 9,000 rupees per leg range for combined pet-plus-crate weights up to 30 kg.
Sedation is explicitly prohibited by Air India and by IATA. Pet owners occasionally believe a mild sedative will help the pet through the flight — this is dangerous because cabin pressure changes at altitude can suppress sedated animals' breathing and cardiac function. Any pet arriving at check-in that appears sedated will be refused for travel. This applies across every airline in India.
SpiceJet, Akasa, Air India Express and the absorbed Vistara — the picture today
The remaining domestic operators have varied policies, and one of them (Vistara) is now historical. Here is where each stands in 2026.
SpiceJet: Accepts pets in cargo hold only on domestic flights via SpiceXpress cargo. No cabin pet allowance except for service dogs accompanying disabled passengers with 48-hour advance notice. Booking through SpiceXpress at the origin city, with IATA-compliant crate and vet certificate within 10 days. Charges typically 3,500 to 8,000 rupees per leg in 2026. SpiceJet has had service interruptions on some Tier-2 routes in 2025 and 2026, so confirm flight operability separately from pet booking.
Akasa Air: Akasa does not currently accept pets in either cabin or cargo on its domestic network as of mid-2026. Service dogs for passengers with disabilities are accepted in the cabin with 48-hour advance notice and proper documentation. The carrier has indicated cargo pet acceptance is under evaluation but no firm rollout has been announced. If you are planning to fly Akasa, your pet must be booked on an alternative carrier on the same date.
Air India Express: Pet acceptance on AI Express domestic legs is limited and operationally inconsistent. The carrier has technically allowed cargo pets on select narrow-body domestic routes since the unified AOC, but in practice the cargo team often declines bookings citing aircraft hold configuration. Cabin pets are not accepted. For practical purposes, if your route is operated by AI Express metal, plan to use the equivalent Air India mainline flight instead.
Vistara: The Vistara brand was fully absorbed into Air India by late 2024 and no longer operates as a separate carrier in 2026. Former Vistara flights now operate under the Air India brand using Air India pet policy. If you are looking at older blog posts or pet-shipper price lists that quote Vistara as a separate option, that information is stale.
The IATA crate — the single thing first-time pet shippers get wrong
The crate is where most domestic pet bookings collapse. Passengers buy an attractive folding fabric crate from an e-commerce site, present it at airport cargo, and are told it is non-compliant. The crate must be IATA Live Animals Regulations (LAR) Container Requirement 82 compliant — usually labelled CR82 by manufacturers and pet shippers. The requirements are not negotiable.
The crate must be rigid plastic or wood, never collapsible, never wire-only, never soft-sided (soft-sided is only permitted for small in-cabin pets and only on Air India). The roof must be solid, not mesh. The door must be metal mesh with a working positive-locking latch — the airline check-in agent will tug the door to test it. Ventilation must be on all four walls, with mesh openings that allow airflow but not paw escape. The bottom must be leak-proof with absorbent bedding (puppy training pad or shredded paper). Food and water bowls must be attached to the inside of the door, accessible without opening the door. There must be no wheels — wheels are explicitly disallowed by IATA because of cargo handling stability.
Sizing follows the IATA formula. The crate length must equal A plus half of B, where A is the pet's nose-to-tail-base length and B is the front-leg length. The crate height must be the pet's standing-shoulder height plus the ear-tip height when standing — the pet must be able to stand fully upright without head touching the roof. The pet must be able to turn around inside the crate and lie down comfortably in natural position. An undersized crate is the most common reason for refusal at check-in.
Stickers required on the crate include the large green and white "Live Animal" labels on top and at least two sides, "This Way Up" arrows on all four sides, the pet's name and the owner's name and contact number, the destination station code, and emergency feeding and watering instructions. Pet shippers typically supply the crate with stickers already applied. If you buy your own crate, source the stickers separately from an IATA-approved supplier or your origin city's airport cargo office.
Vet health certificate and the documentation chain
The vet health certificate is the second mandatory document and the second place first-time shippers get caught. The certificate must be issued by a registered veterinary practitioner — preferably one recognised by the local State Veterinary Council and listed in the airport's accepted veterinarian register. Major Indian airports including Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM), Bengaluru (BLR), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD) and Kolkata (CCU) operate animal quarantine offices where airport animal quarantine officers (AVOs) review documentation before any cargo pet movement.
The certificate must be dated within 10 days of the travel date — never older. Some airlines and some destination airports require the certificate within 7 days, so 7 days is the safer window to target. The certificate must specify the pet's species, breed, age, sex, microchip number (international ISO 11784/11785 standard 15-digit microchip is mandatory), description and physical fitness to fly. The vet must state that the animal is free from infectious disease and fit for air transport.
Vaccination records must accompany the certificate. For dogs, this means current rabies (administered between 30 days and 12 months before travel, never less than 30 days), DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza) and leptospirosis. For cats, FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia) plus rabies. Records must be on official veterinary letterhead with vet's registration number and signature.
For domestic flights, you generally do not need an Animal Welfare Board (AWBI) or AVS (Animal Quarantine and Certification Service) No Objection Certificate — these are international-flight documents. But the AQCS officer at the airport may inspect the pet before loading, particularly at DEL and BOM, and reserves the right to refuse a pet that appears unwell or distressed at the check-in window regardless of paper documentation.
Routes where pets cannot fly even with full paperwork
Several domestic routes either do not accept pets or have significant restrictions. The list changes seasonally so always reconfirm with the airline cargo desk at booking, but the structural list as of 2026 includes:
- Andaman and Nicobar: No direct pet acceptance into PortBlair (IXZ) or onward to other islands. The local AQ office at IXZ does not process inbound pet animals from mainland flights, and the Air India and IndiGo cargo teams will not accept a booking. Pet relocation to the Andamans typically requires sea-route shipment through Chennai or Visakhapatnam port operators.
- Leh (IXL) and Kargil: The high altitude of Leh (above 3,500 metres) creates risk for in-flight cargo pets. Most airlines refuse pet bookings into IXL. If the pet absolutely must travel, the cargo desk may insist on a special vet attestation that the animal has prior altitude exposure and a recent fitness certification from an altitude-experienced vet — practically, expect refusal.
- Northeast Tier-2 (Aizawl AJL, Dimapur DMU, Imphal IMF): Pet acceptance is intermittent. IndiGo and AI cargo teams accept on a case-by-case basis but frequently decline citing aircraft type. SpiceJet has more reliable acceptance on these routes in 2026.
- Summer brachycephalic embargo: Across all airlines and almost all routes, brachycephalic breeds — Pugs, French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, Persian cats, Himalayan cats, Exotic Shorthair cats — face restrictions year-round and outright bans on long-haul international flights. Domestically, IndiGo CarGo and Air India both apply a May to September embargo on brachycephalic breeds in cargo on flights where the hold temperature cannot be guaranteed below 27 degrees Celsius. These breeds have compromised airway anatomy and are documented at significantly higher in-flight mortality risk. Most pet relocation agents will simply refuse to handle brachycephalic breeds for cargo movement.
Booking the pet — the actual sequence
Here is the real workflow, in order, for a domestic pet movement on IndiGo or Air India. Allow 2 to 3 weeks from start to fly date as the working assumption.
Week 3 before travel: Visit the vet for a pre-travel physical. Confirm vaccinations are current. If not, top-up rabies (must be at least 30 days before travel, so any booster done now is fine). Confirm microchip implant — if your pet does not have an ISO 11784/11785 microchip, get one implanted now. It takes 30 seconds and costs around 1,500 to 2,500 rupees.
Week 2 before travel: Order the IATA CR82 crate sized for your pet. Either purchase from an IATA-approved supplier like Petify, PetSetGo or Krunchies Pet Relocation (delivery to most Indian cities within 4 to 7 days), or rent from a pet relocation agent for around 1,500 to 3,000 rupees per leg. Begin crate acclimation — leave the crate at home with the door open, feed the pet near it, then inside it, so the pet associates the crate with comfort rather than confinement.
Week 1 before travel: Call the airline cargo line. For IndiGo, the IndiGo CarGo number for your origin city. For Air India, Air India Cargo through SATS at DEL, BOM, BLR, MAA, HYD or CCU. Confirm pet acceptance on your intended flight, get the AWB number, settle the pro-forma invoice. Book your own passenger ticket separately on the same flight if you want to travel with the pet.
3 to 7 days before travel: Vet visit for the official Health Certificate dated within 10 days of travel. Carry vaccination records, microchip number, photographs of the pet, your government ID. Vet issues the certificate on official letterhead.
Travel day: Arrive at the cargo terminal (not the passenger terminal — they are separate buildings at every major Indian airport) 4 to 5 hours before flight departure. AQ officer inspection. Crate inspection. Pet loaded into cargo hold approximately 90 to 60 minutes before passenger boarding. You proceed to passenger terminal for your own check-in. At destination, collect pet from cargo terminal — typically 60 to 120 minutes after flight arrival.
When to use a pet relocation agent versus DIY
For a first domestic pet movement, the strong recommendation is to use a pet relocation agent. Agent fees for a domestic move in 2026 range from 6,000 to 18,000 rupees on top of the airline cargo charge, depending on city pair and inclusions. What you get is end-to-end management — they handle the cargo booking, the crate sizing and supply, the vet certificate logistics, the AQ paperwork, and they meet you at the cargo terminal on travel day to handle the check-in. For a one-time domestic move with a 12 kg dog, your total spend through an agent will be in the 12,000 to 25,000 rupees range, versus 6,000 to 12,000 doing it all yourself.
The case for DIY is straightforward when you have done it once or twice before. The airline cargo desks are competent, the AQ officers are reasonable, and once you understand the document chain the process is repeatable. The case for an agent is equally straightforward when this is your first time, your pet is large or brachycephalic, your route is non-trivial, or you are flying on a tight schedule where a refused boarding would derail other plans.
Recognised pet relocation agents operating across Indian cities in 2026 include PetRelocation India, Krunchies Pet Relocation, Pet Travel Services India and Petify Relocations. Always verify the agent is IATA-accredited (they should be able to provide their IATA agency code), insist on a written quote with all inclusions, and confirm whether the quote includes the crate or just the booking management. For a cleaner sense of how this fits into longer-haul pet planning, see our international pet relocation guide and our airline-by-airline crate comparison. For background on the writer's perspective on first-time logistics, the author page covers the broader first-trip guides.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book my pet on IndiGo when I book my passenger ticket online?
No. The IndiGo online booking flow does not handle pets. Pets are accepted only through IndiGo CarGo as a separate cargo booking with its own AWB and pro-forma invoice. Call the IndiGo CarGo desk at your origin city at least 7 to 10 days before travel. The cabin pet allowance does not exist on IndiGo for general pets, only for trained service dogs accompanying passengers with documented disabilities.
What is the cabin pet weight limit on Air India domestic flights?
5 kg combined weight of pet plus carrier on Air India domestic flights, with a hard cap of one cabin pet per flight across the entire aircraft. The carrier must be a soft-sided IATA-approved cabin pet bag fitting under the seat (maximum 45 cm length, 30 cm width, 23 cm height). Booking is first-come basis through Air India reservations with 72-hour advance notice. The cabin pet fee is 4,000 to 6,000 rupees per leg in 2026.
Is sedating my pet for the flight a good idea?
No. Sedation is explicitly prohibited by IATA, by every Indian airline, and by veterinary guidance. Sedatives suppress respiratory and cardiac function at altitude where cabin pressure is already lower, increasing in-flight mortality risk. Any pet arriving at check-in that appears sedated will be refused. If your pet has severe anxiety, work with your vet on calming aids (pheromone sprays, gradual crate acclimation over 2 to 3 weeks) instead.
Can I fly my Pug or French Bulldog domestically in India?
It is very restricted. Brachycephalic breeds — Pugs, French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, Persian cats, Himalayan cats — face year-round restrictions and a May to September outright embargo on most Indian carriers in cargo. These breeds have compromised airway anatomy and significantly higher in-flight mortality risk. Most pet relocation agents in India will not handle brachycephalic breeds for cargo. Surface transport (train or car with an accompanying person) is the safer option for these breeds.
What is the IATA CR82 crate and where can I buy one in India?
IATA Live Animals Regulations Container Requirement 82 (CR82) is the standard for rigid pet shipping crates. Requirements include rigid plastic or wood construction, ventilation on all four sides, leak-proof bottom with absorbent material, metal-mesh door with positive-locking latch, attached food and water bowls, no wheels, and proper sizing so the pet can stand fully, turn around and lie down naturally. Suppliers in India include Petify, PetSetGo, Krunchies Pet Relocation and most pet relocation agents who also rent crates for around 1,500 to 3,000 rupees per leg.
How much does it cost to fly a 12 kg dog from Delhi to Bengaluru on Air India in 2026?
Expect 5,500 to 8,500 rupees in airline cargo charges plus the AWB documentation fee for a 12 kg dog plus IATA crate (combined weight roughly 18 to 20 kg) on Air India Cargo DEL to BLR. If you use a pet relocation agent for end-to-end handling, add 8,000 to 14,000 rupees in agent fees. The vet health certificate costs 800 to 2,000 rupees. Total all-in DIY cost is around 7,500 to 11,000 rupees, and agent-managed total is around 16,000 to 25,000 rupees.