Airlines for Pet Transport Vietnam to Russia 2026: Which Carriers Accept Pets and How to Book

The airline selection is the most consequential decision in a Vietnam-to-Russia pet relocation — and the starting point has changed. Vietnam Airlines operates a scheduled direct flight between Hanoi and Moscow, VN63, and pets that meet the airline’s AVIH eligibility criteria can travel as checked baggage on that same flight as their owner — no transit, no separate cargo booking. For pets that don’t qualify — large dogs, multiple animals travelling together, or a pet sent without an accompanying owner — the route still runs through a transit hub, and live animal acceptance must be confirmed on both legs independently; a booking that works on the Vietnam→Istanbul segment does not automatically mean the Istanbul→Moscow segment is approved. This guide covers the direct VN63 AVIH option first, then every viable transit carrier still relevant when a pet falls outside that eligibility window, their live animal policies, and what the booking process looks like in practice.

Vietnam Airlines VN63: The Direct Flight, AVIH Option

Vietnam Airlines operates VN63, a scheduled direct service between Hanoi (HAN) and Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) — no transit, no connecting flight. For the case Daisy Pet handles most often — one or two small pets travelling with their owner — this is now the first option to check, ahead of the four transit hubs described below.

AVIH is easy to misread as in-cabin travel because Vietnam Airlines’ own booking interface labels it “pet in the passenger compartment” — in practice, AVIH means the pet travels as checked baggage in the aircraft’s climate-controlled hold, not the cabin, and not Manifest Cargo. The pet lands in Moscow on the same flight, the same day, as its owner. As a general industry benchmark, many airlines cap AVIH around 8 kg combined weight of pet and crate — Vietnam Airlines has not published a specific figure for this route at the time of writing, so treat that number as a rough guide only and confirm eligibility directly with the airline or your relocation agent.

AVIH vs. Manifest Cargo on the Vietnam–Russia Route

Most guides to this route describe AVIH as “rarely available” and treat Manifest Cargo as the only working method. That was accurate before Vietnam Airlines opened its direct HAN–SVO service — it isn’t the full picture anymore. The two methods now split along one question: does the pet qualify for AVIH on VN63?

• AVIH (Vietnam Airlines VN63, direct) — for pets within VNA’s AVIH weight and size threshold, travelling with their owner, checked in as baggage on the same flight. No transit, no separate cargo booking, no cargo agent.
• Manifest Cargo (via Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, or Tashkent) — for everything AVIH doesn’t cover: dogs above the AVIH threshold, multiple pets beyond what one passenger can check in, or a pet travelling without its owner on the same flight. These shipments are consigned as freight through the airline’s cargo division, and currently require a transit hub because no carrier offers a direct Manifest Cargo service on this route.

The practical takeaway: check AVIH eligibility on VN63 first. It’s faster, simpler, and — because it skips a separate cargo booking and transit hub — usually the lower-cost path for the case that applies to most Daisy Pet clients. If your pet doesn’t qualify, the four transit-hub carriers below remain the working solution.

The Four Transit Hub Options: When Your Pet Doesn’t Qualify for AVIH

If your pet is above the AVIH weight or size threshold, you’re shipping more pets than VN63 can check in with one passenger, or the pet is travelling without an accompanying owner, Manifest Cargo through one of four transit hubs is the working solution. These are the same carriers that handled every Vietnam-to-Russia pet shipment before the direct route opened, and each remains fully viable — the difference now is that they’re the fallback option, not the default.

Istanbul (IST) — Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines operates one of the busiest live animal cargo programs in the world and is the most commonly used carrier for Vietnam-to-Russia pet shipments. The relevant service is operated by Turkish Cargo (TC), not the passenger division.

Note on segment acceptance: Turkish Cargo must confirm live animal acceptance on both the Vietnam→Istanbul and Istanbul→Russia legs at the time of booking. Do not book separately — both segments must be on a single cargo AWB (Air Waybill) with confirmed live animal acceptance on each leg.

Dubai (DXB) — Emirates SkyCargo

Emirates SkyCargo operates one of the most advanced live animal handling facilities in the world at Dubai World Central (DWC) and Dubai International (DXB). The service is well-established and consistent, though pricing tends to run higher than Turkish Cargo on comparable routes.

Emirates SkyCargo’s live animal handling at Dubai is considered among the best in the industry — animals are inspected, offered water, and held in climate-controlled facilities during layovers. For high-value breeds or animals with health sensitivities, this hub is worth the additional cost.

Doha (DOH) — Qatar Airways Cargo

Qatar Airways Cargo (QR) handles live animals on dedicated cargo freighters and belly-cargo on passenger aircraft. The Doha hub offers good onward connections to Moscow.

Qatar Airways Cargo has strict species and breed acceptance policies. Brachycephalic breeds (Pug, French Bulldog, Persian cats, etc.) face restrictions or outright bans on some routes — confirm breed acceptance specifically before booking, not just “live animals generally accepted.”

Tashkent (TAS) — Uzbekistan Airways

Uzbekistan Airways operates a regional route between Vietnam and Russia via Tashkent. This is a less-used option but relevant for specific circumstances — particularly when other carriers are full or when the destination in Russia is not Moscow.

Carrier Comparison at a Glance

The comparison below covers the four transit-hub carriers, for pets that don’t qualify for VN63’s AVIH service. For pets that do qualify, VN63 direct is the default recommendation — see the AVIH section above.

Brachycephalic Breed Restrictions

Flat-faced breeds are subject to restrictions across all major carriers — not just on this route, but globally. The relevant breeds include: Bulldogs (English and French), Pugs, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Boxers (in some airline policies), Persian cats, Himalayan cats, and British Shorthair cats. Restrictions range from embargoes during summer months (high temperature risk) to year-round bans on certain routes. Before any other planning, confirm your specific breed is accepted by your chosen carrier — Vietnam Airlines’ AVIH service on VN63, or a transit-hub carrier’s Manifest Cargo program on both the Vietnam→transit and transit→Russia legs.

The Booking Process: Step by Step

Booking Manifest Cargo on a Vietnam-to-Russia route is not the same as buying a passenger ticket — this process applies to the four transit-hub carriers above. AVIH on VN63 is booked far more simply, as a pet travel add-on through Vietnam Airlines’ own passenger reservations (see the VN63 section above). The Manifest Cargo process works as follows:

1. Contact the carrier’s cargo division directly (or through a licensed cargo agent; Daisy Pet arranges this for its clients). Passenger reservations staff cannot book live animal cargo.
2. Provide the shipment details: species, breed, age, weight, crate dimensions (L×W×H in cm), and travel dates.
3. Request acceptance confirmation on both legs simultaneously. The cargo agent will check live animal acceptance on the origin→transit and transit→Russia segments. This is called AVI segment acceptance. Both must be confirmed before any booking is made.
4. Receive an AWB (Air Waybill) number. This is the cargo tracking number for your pet’s shipment — keep it throughout the journey.
5. Complete the Air Waybill documentation: shipper name, consignee details, species declaration, IATA crate compliance declaration.
6. Present the complete veterinary document set (health certificate, vaccination record, Form 15 certificate, Mẫu 13a) at the cargo check-in, not the passenger check-in counter.

Allow at least 2–3 hours at the origin cargo terminal for documentation check-in, even if you have all documents prepared. Cargo check-in cutoff times are typically 3–4 hours before flight departure for live animals.

Seasonal Considerations

Live animal acceptance on air cargo routes is affected by temperature embargoes. Most carriers impose heat embargoes when forecasted temperatures at any point in the route (origin, transit, destination) exceed 29–30°C. This primarily affects summer travel (June–August) and can result in last-minute booking cancellations. Plan Russia shipments for spring (March–May) or autumn (September–November) where possible, or use carriers with temperature-controlled facilities that override standard embargoes (Emirates DXB is the strongest option in this regard). This section applies to Manifest Cargo bookings through the transit hubs above; VN63’s single-leg routing removes the multi-leg embargo risk that affects transit shipments, though standard heat-related booking rules for AVIH still apply — confirm with Vietnam Airlines at time of booking.

What Daisy Pet Handles in the Airline Process

Daisy Pet’s first step on every Vietnam-to-Russia booking is checking AVIH eligibility on Vietnam Airlines’ direct VN63 service — it’s the faster, simpler path for the case we see most often: one or two small pets travelling with their owner. When a pet doesn’t qualify, we fall back to Manifest Cargo and coordinate directly with cargo agents for Turkish Airlines, Emirates SkyCargo, and Qatar Airways Cargo. We verify segment-by-segment acceptance at the time of booking, prepare the AWB documentation set, and accompany pets to the cargo terminal for check-in on departure day.

For a personalised route recommendation based on your pet’s size, breed, and travel timeline, contact the Daisy Pet team or use the quote form. For the full regulatory requirements on the Russia side, see the Russia Pet Import Laws 2026 guide. For cost estimates, see the Pet Relocation Cost Russia 2026 guide.