Flying with a flat-faced dog or cat

Why airlines are wary of snub-nosed breeds

A brachycephalic dog or cat has a very short muzzle and narrow airways. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) explains that these airways can partly or fully collapse under stress, exercise or overheating, and that such dogs seem more vulnerable to changes in air quality and temperature in the hold. It names Pugs, Boston Terriers, Boxers, some mastiffs, Pekingese, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus and bulldogs.

The AVMA reports that roughly half of 122 dog deaths associated with airline flights over a five-year period involved these breeds, including 25 English Bulldogs and 11 Pugs, while pointing out that this is a small number against the hundreds of thousands of animals that fly each year. Flat-faced cats may also be more prone to breathing problems. Because most cats fly in the cabin, fewer deaths are reported, but the AVMA still urges caution if one has to travel in the hold.

IATA, the International Air Transport Association, adds that these animals struggle to keep a normal body temperature in hot weather, and advises against carrying snub-nosed dogs such as Boxers, Pugs, bulldogs and Pekingese in the hot season. KLM puts it simply: a snub-nosed pet may have trouble breathing during the flight because of heat and stress.

Which breeds are affected?

There is no shared list: each airline publishes its own. Air France's, which we re-read on 21 October 2026, names these dogs: Affenpinscher, Boston Terrier, Boxers (all breeds), bulldogs (all breeds), Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Pugs (all breeds), Chow Chow, dogues (all breeds), certain spaniels (Tibetan, Japanese, King Charles), Brussels Griffon, Lhasa Apso, mastiffs (all breeds), Neapolitan Mastiff, Pekingese, Petit Brabançon, Shih Tzu, Shar Pei and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. For cats: Birman, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan and Persian.

Other lists overlap heavily, with differences that matter:

• KLM adds the American Bully, Great Danes and the English Spaniel, and lists the Burmese among cats;
• LOT explicitly names the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Dogue de Bordeaux and American Cocker Spaniel, and, for cats, the British Shorthair and Scottish Fold;
• LOT and SWISS WorldCargo apply their rules to crosses of these breeds, and LOT includes any animal with brachycephalic traits such as a short muzzle.

What the airlines say

This is what we read on the airlines' official pages and in the carrier variations published by IATA, as of 21 October 2026. These rules change often, sometimes without notice: re-read them when you book, and always for the airline that actually operates the flight.

In practice, a 12 kg French Bulldog has no option at all with Air France: too heavy for the cabin, and refused in the hold and as cargo. Other airlines sometimes accept it as cargo, under conditions and depending on the season. For airlines not in this table, we read their rules case by case, and we publish nothing we have not checked.

The cabin: the usual answer for small pets

For a Pug, a Shih Tzu, a small bulldog or a light Persian, the cabin is usually the only option: the AVMA notes that breed embargoes often apply to the hold alone, not the cabin. On Air France, the pet must weigh under 8 kg including the bag, in a soft carrier of at most 46 × 28 × 24 cm. The limit covers pet and bag together, so weigh them together, not the animal alone.

For an animal that already breathes poorly, the carrier matters even more. IATA warns that a soft carrier can be compressed once pushed under the seat, cutting ventilation and letting heat build up inside. We advise a carrier with a firm base, ventilated on several sides, that keeps its shape under the seat, and a pet used to it weeks before departure. For cats, see our guide to flying with a cat.

The cabin has its own limits: a cap on pets per flight, and cabins or destinations that exclude it. Great Britain, for example, only accepts pets arriving by air as cargo, unless you fly on a chartered private plane or it is a guide or assistance dog (GOV.UK), so a Pug flying from Paris to London cannot travel at your feet. See our article on travelling to the UK with a dog.

As cargo: a bigger crate, heat and season

When an airline still accepts your pet as cargo, the requirements are stricter than for other dogs and cats:

• A larger crate. IATA's Live Animals Regulations require a crate 10% larger for snub-nosed breeds, and ask for these dogs to be stowed as far as practical from other loads so they have as much air space as possible. The AVMA recommends a crate one size larger than normal, which Turkish Airlines requires. See our guide to measuring for an IATA crate.
• Temperature limits. SWISS WorldCargo restricts pet shipments when it is above 27 °C outside and may move them to another time or day; Turkish Airlines requires below 27 °C at origin and destination. The AVMA gives the example of airlines that take no pets in the hold when the forecast is 85 °F (about 29 °C) or higher.
• A seasonal window. Etihad Cargo only accepts snub-nosed breeds from 1 November to 1 March. A departure in high summer may be impossible on a route that works in winter.
• More paperwork. A BOAS certificate for SWISS WorldCargo, an indemnity letter for Turkish Airlines, prior approval from Etihad Cargo's specialists: build these into the timeline.

The risk rises on the ground: the AVMA warns that temperatures on the tarmac can become unsafe. It recommends a nonstop flight, avoiding layovers and busy holidays, and early-morning or late-evening flights in warm weather. As cargo, your pet is handed to a specialist shipper or forwarder: Lufthansa Cargo, for example, does not take bookings from private customers directly. See our page on pet air cargo.

See your vet before you book

No sedatives without a vet's advice. IATA advises against tranquillising dogs and cats for air travel, and the AVMA warns that these drugs can increase the risk of heart or breathing problems, a particular concern for an animal that already struggles to breathe. Airlines may refuse a sedated pet.

When no flight is suitable

Sometimes no airline accepts your pet on the planned route, or only on terms your vet advises against. There are several options to weigh case by case:

• another airline or routing, for example a flight operated by a carrier that takes this breed in the cabin or as cargo, even if it means leaving from another airport;
• another season, when the airline opens a winter window or sets a temperature limit;
• road, rail or ferry for European destinations, subject to each operator's rules;
• postponing the pet's move, or deciding against it, when the risk is too high.

For a heavier dog, see also our article flying with a dog: cabin, hold or cargo, which explains the three ways a dog can fly.

How Pawgeot helps

• Checking the airlines on your route for your pet's breed, weight and travel season, on their official pages and with the airlines directly, including every connecting flight.
• Building the timeline: microchip, rabies vaccination, any rabies antibody titre test, health certificate and the extra papers some airlines ask for snub-nosed breeds.
• Sizing the crate from your pet's measurements, with the extra margin set for short-nosed breeds.
• Arranging cargo through partners, subject to availability, when the cabin is not an option.

We cannot promise that an airline will accept your pet or that a flight will be available on a given date. If no air option looks reasonable to us, we will tell you so plainly.

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