Live Animal Air Charter
Horses to a race meeting, a falcon to the hunting season, a household's dogs to a second home, breeding livestock to a programme, a zoo transfer to a new collection. Live animal charter is a discipline of its own — the aircraft, the attendants and the paperwork all follow the animal.
Movements planned to IATA Live Animals Regulations with specialist carriers. Documentation, permits and quarantine sequenced with the receiving authority. One controller for the animals, the people and the ground at both ends.
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A discipline of its own
Live animal charter sits between passenger aviation and cargo, and belongs fully to neither. The animals are not freight — they are the reason the flight exists. In this region the discipline is old: falcons have flown in aircraft cabins here for generations; racehorses cross between the Gulf, Europe and America every season; breeding stock moves between programmes. MEGA coordinates live animal movements rather than operating the aircraft: specialist carriers fly the horses and livestock, private jets carry the pets and falcons with their owners, and we hold the movement — aircraft, attendants, paperwork, quarantine, the ramp at both ends — as one plan with one controller.
What we move
- Horses and equine transport — racing, showjumping and breeding movements with jet stalls, attending grooms and sequenced health certification.
- Dogs, cats and cabin pets — pets travel in the cabin beside you, with documentation planned per destination.
- Falcons — hooded, perched in the cabin or in purpose-built carriers, with CITES documentation where the species and route require it.
- Breeding livestock — camels, sheep, goats and cattle moving to programmes and shows, penned or crated to the animals.
- Zoo and conservation transfers — planned with the institutions' veterinary teams, the relevant authorities and CITES documentation.
- Combined household movements — the people, the pets and sometimes the horses, coordinated as one move.
The aircraft follows the animal
- Specialist freighters — stalls, pens or crates built to the animals, flown by carriers experienced in live animal work.
- Private jets with pets in the cabin — the aircraft chosen for floor space, divans and sector length as much as for the people.
- Dedicated charter vs shared services — shared scheduled services where dates allow, dedicated charter where a programme binds.
- Attendants and escorts — grooms, handlers and veterinary escorts planned as part of the same movement.
Documentation, permits and quarantine
Every live animal movement runs on documentation: identification, vaccination and health records, certificates issued within defined windows, and destination import permits arranged in advance. Falcons, exotic species and zoo animals may move under CITES permits, whose lead times are often the longest item in the schedule. Some corridors require pre-export isolation or post-arrival quarantine. The current requirement is always confirmed with the receiving authority for the specific movement.
Arrival is planned before departure: the ramp or terminal, the transfer vehicle, stabling or holding facilities, and the receiving vet where required. For cabin pets the arrival is simpler — the animal clears alongside you through the private terminal.
Live animal charter — FAQs
What kinds of animals can you move by air charter?
Horses and equine stock, dogs, cats and other cabin pets, falcons, high-value breeding livestock such as camels, sheep and goats, and zoo or conservation transfers — each planned per movement.
Do my pets travel in the cabin with me?
Yes — on a private jet, dogs and cats travel in the passenger cabin beside you rather than in a hold. Falcons also travel in the cabin under their own conventions.
How are horses flown?
In purpose-built jet stalls on specialist freighters, with attending grooms and, where required, a veterinary escort.
What documentation do live animal movements need?
Identification, vaccination and health records, certificates within defined windows, import permits in advance, and CITES permits for protected species where applicable — confirmed with the receiving authority for each movement.
Who operates the aircraft?
Licensed third-party operators — specialist carriers for horses and livestock, and charter operators for cabin pets and falcons. Any safety rating belongs to the operator and is confirmed at quotation.
Can our own grooms, handlers or vets travel too?
Yes — attendants routinely fly on the movement, with their seats, documentation and ground arrangements part of the same plan.
How much does a live animal charter cost?
There is no published figure. Price depends on species and numbers, route, aircraft, attendants, permits, quarantine and ground. Every movement is quoted individually, with the operating carrier named.
How far ahead should we plan?
As early as the programme allows. Permits and quarantine space — not aircraft — are usually the binding constraint, and CITES permits can set the longest lead time of all.