Turkish Airlines is one of the more pet-active hub carriers — they ship Cooper-sized dogs through the AVIH program and accept cabin pets up to 8 kg combined in a 23 × 30 × 40 cm carrier. Minimum age is 10 weeks. The UK is a hard no across the board: pets are not permitted on Turkish flights into or out of London or any UK connection.
Turkish Airlines's pet policy splits into cabin and cargo. This page summarizes the weight limits, fees, brachycephalic-breed restrictions, and carrier specifications for both modes — sourced from the airline's official pet pages.
How Turkish Airlines treats your pet
Cabin policy
| Item | Detail | Source & confidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pets accepted | Accepted in the cabin | 95% | |
| Pet + carrier max weight | 8 kg (incl. carrier) | 96% | |
| Carrier max size | 40 × 30 × 23 cm (L × W × H) | 95% | |
| One-way fee | 65 USD | 75% |
Hold policy
| Item | Detail | Source & confidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pets accepted | Accepted in the hold | 95% | |
| Snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds | Not accepted in the hold | 85% | |
| Pet + carrier max weight | 50 kg (incl. carrier) | 95% |
Cargo policy
| Item | Detail | Source & confidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pets accepted | Accepted in the cargo | 95% |
Turkish Airlines caps cabin pet travel at 8 kg combined with the carrier. Above that ceiling the pet routes to the AVIH cargo program, which has its own per-segment fee and a 3-hour pre-flight check-in window. The 8 kg includes the soft carrier, food, and water — weigh everything together at home before booking.
Frequently asked
- What is the cabin weight limit on Turkish Airlines?
- In the cabin, your pet plus its carrier must not exceed 8 kg. Heavier pets (up to 50 kg) travel in the hold.
- How much does it cost to fly a pet on Turkish Airlines?
- On flights within Metropolitan France, Turkish Airlines charges from 65 USD in the cabin, one way per pet. Longer routes cost more — price your exact itinerary.
- What if my flight is delayed past my health certificate validity?
- If the certificate window expires before you board, you'll need a re-issue. Build a 1-2 day buffer between the cert date and departure to absorb minor delays.
- What happens if I forget a document?
- At the destination airport: at best, an extended inspection while you produce backup; at worst, the pet is held in quarantine or returned to origin at your cost. Bring printed copies.
Turkish Airlines pet-in-cabin fees typically start from $65 USD per segment, with route-specific multipliers above that base. A Europe-via-Istanbul connection bills as two segments. The fee is non-refundable once the pet is added to the booking, including for traveller-side cancellations. Currency is local at airport check-in counters.
Turkish's program is one of the cleaner ones for big-dog cargo travel — clear weight tiers, embargoed UK routes, and an established AVIH desk. Your plan locks the cabin vs. hold decision against the 8 kg ceiling, then layers in the route-specific paperwork and rabies titration for non-EU origins.
Glossary
- ISO chip
- ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
- FAVN
- Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
- Brachycephalic
- Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
- AVIH
- Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.