Aeroflot Changes Rules for Animal Transportation

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The regulations and procedures for the transportation of animals have been revised by Aeroflot, according to the carrier’s press office. According to Kommersant, the number of pets allowed per passenger has been expanded from one to three.

According to the new guidelines, two adult animals (over six months old) can be transported in the cabin of an airplane in a single carrier if their combined weight is less than 8 kilograms. On wide-body aircraft, travellers transporting two containers with animals in the cabin are also permitted to sit them in the center block of seats.

The possibility to bring a stroller for an animal and utilize it before boarding has been added to the free checked baggage allowance. Pet carriage requests can now be made up to six hours ahead of time (previously, this had to be done 24 hours in advance).

Container requirements have been specified. The animal and the cage are photographed upon registration, and a sticker with the pet’s information and the owner’s phone number is placed on the cage. In addition, the regulations for bringing animals on board have changed. Transportation restrictions on brachycephalic dogs (pugs, boxers, bulldogs, Pekingese, and Shih Tzu) have been abolished.

Aeroflot established new regulations for animal carriage in September 2020, stating that each passenger can only carry one animal. Passengers on Utair were permitted to bring up to ten pets in the cabin, while passengers on S7 were allowed to bring up to five animals. The Union of Russian Cynological Organizations recommended to the Ministry of Transport in February 2021 that the maximum weight of an animal in the baggage compartment of an airplane be increased from 50 to 75 kg, taking into consideration the carriers.