A compliant crate keeps your pet safe and comfortable for the whole journey, and every airline treats it as a hard requirement. Here is the full IATA standard and how to choose the right crate for your pet.
Four points to understand before you buy a crate or book your pet’s flight.
The crate rules for dogs and cats sit in CR1 of the IATA LAR, 52nd edition.
No crate carries an IATA approval. Airline staff judge each crate against CR1 and can refuse it.
A cabin carrier can be soft-sided. A crate for the hold must be rigid, with spacers and a water bowl.
Some airlines add rules for listed breeds, such as a reinforced wooden crate. Check yours first.
The mandatory requirements for a crate to be accepted on international flights.
Big enough for your pet to stand, sit upright, lie down naturally, and turn around
Fiberglass, metal, rigid plastic, solid wood or plywood, with welded wire mesh only on the openings
Openings on all four sides, at least 16% of their surface, with no gap a nose or paw can get through
Openings that are too wide can be covered with welded wire mesh, fixed so your pet cannot push it out. A second layer of mesh is allowed if both layers meet the minimum for the species.
Solid, but ventilation openings or welded mesh are allowed across the whole roof, as long as the roof stays strong.
Plastic crate halves must be bolted together, and plastic clips alone are not enough
Rims that stop surrounding cargo from blocking the ventilation openings
A green “Live Animals” label and “This Way Up” labels on at least two opposite sides
Size is only half of it. These four parts decide whether the crate protects your pet and the people handling it.
The door forms one whole end of the crate. Locking pins must reach at least 1.6 cm into the frame.
Plastic halves must be bolted together. Cable ties in the door corners add a second layer of security.
A solid, leak-proof floor with absorbent bedding, and a smooth inside with nothing to bite or scratch loose.
Handles must let staff move the crate without scratches or bites. Any wheels must be removed or disabled.
When the pet and crate together weigh more than 60 kg, the crate also needs forklift spacers at least 5 cm high.
CR1 covers both species, but cats get tighter limits on openings, mesh, and wood.
Dog
Cat
Dog
Cat
Dog
Cat
Wooden roofs must be at least 12 mm for both. A large cat fits a bigger plastic crate only if its openings are 19 × 19 mm or smaller; otherwise a custom wooden crate is the answer.
Both must meet the CR1 size rule: your pet can stand, sit upright, lie down and turn around.
Soft-sided is allowed
Rigid construction required
Not required
Three sides required
Not required
Water bowl: Fixed, filled from outside
“Live Animals”, vents unblocked
“Live Animals” and “This Way Up”
IATA’s Operational Guidelines for In-Cabin Pet Transport (Edition 1, 15 July 2026) tell airlines to check the carrier at check-in and to deny boarding if it fails CR1 or the pet looks distressed. Cabin spots are limited, and reservations are generally needed 48 to 72 hours ahead. Airlines also set their own cabin size and weight limits, so check yours before you buy a carrier.
Under-seat space also changes with the aircraft, and smaller regional jets often have less room, so check the limit for your exact flight. Whether a soft carrier may be squeezed to fit is the check-in agent’s call.
Each type suits a different group of pets and a different way of flying.
For pets travelling in the cabin, mostly small pets. Weight limits vary by airline.
The most common choice, suitable for most dogs and cats.
For very large dogs and listed breeds. Heavy, often built to order.
Built to Container Requirement 82 (CR82), for breeds an airline lists for it. Lightweight and reusable.
Always follow the IATA measuring method to keep your pet safe and comfortable. Type your pet’s measurements below to see the crate size it needs.
Measure your pet standing, then type the numbers.
Standard crate dimensions. These are internal dimensions, measured inside the crate.
The six L-series crates are made of IATA-compliant resin plastic, including the large L90 to L120 sizes that are hard to find in Vietnam. Pick a crate to see it next to a person.
For small pets that fly in the cabin. The airline sets the weight limit.
Built to your pet’s measurements for giant, powerful or listed breeds.
Dogs over 55 kg, very tall or narrow dogs, and breeds an airline lists for a reinforced crate may need a custom wooden crate built to the airline’s specification. Weight counts too: Vietnam Airlines accepts a pet and its crate up to 32 kg together as checked baggage, and heavier shipments travel as cargo. Contact the Daisy team for the right size and route for your pet.
The frequent errors that make a crate non-compliant and get it rejected at the airport.
Bends and cracks when heavy cargo presses on it, unsafe for your pet.
Mesh must be 2.5 mm or thicker for dogs and fixed so your pet cannot push it out. It has to cover every opening that is too wide, the door included.
Openings beyond 25 mm for dogs and 19 mm for cats, with no proper mesh over them.
No fill tube, so the door must be opened just to refill the water bowl.
Cracks, missing bolts or locking pins, and wheels still fitted. Lufthansa asks owners to check crates bought before 2024 against the current rules.
Drilled holes, glued parts or extra mesh the airline has not seen. Send photos to your airline and get its approval in writing before you fly.
A pet that is already used to its crate stays far calmer and less stressed throughout the flight. Airline staff can refuse a pet that looks distressed at check-in, and IATA’s July 2026 in-cabin guidelines say so explicitly.
Start six weeks before flight day, train in the exact crate your pet will fly in, and work through these goals in order. Anxious pets, or pets with a bad crate history, may need 8 to 12 weeks.
Leave the crate in a living area with the door open or taken off, and praise every approach. Never push or carry your pet inside.
Put a familiar-smelling blanket near the entrance, then hide treats at the door, the middle, and the back, so going in always pays off.
Feed meals beside the crate, then inside it, and add a chew toy. The crate must never be used as punishment.
Close the door for 10 seconds, then build up to 1, 5, and 15 minutes with you in the room. Open it during a quiet moment, not the second your pet whines.
Stretch to 30 minutes, then leave the room for 1 to 2 hours at a time. By the end, your pet should settle and nap on their own.
Practice car rides from 5 minutes up to 30–60 minutes with airport-style background noise, then finish with a full night in the crate.
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