Document type: published in Air Cargo Week
Author: Hardy
Excerpt in French (translation): Strengthening animal welfare standards
The 2026 update to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animal Regulations by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) introduces stricter standards for training, documentation, container performance, and animal welfare checks across the live animal air cargo sector, thereby strengthening compliance requirements for airlines, handlers, and freight forwarders. The new rules place greater emphasis on formal, competency-based staff training, stricter pre-acceptance checks, and transport containers with higher specifications capable of withstanding challenging operational conditions, particularly for long-haul and interline shipments. The revised framework strengthens welfare-focused measures, including closer scrutiny of high-risk breeds, stricter environmental controls, and more rigorous route planning, while increasing operational costs and reducing cargo flexibility due to higher space requirements and stricter handling standards.
Preview: The 2026 update to International Air Transport Association’s Live Animals Regulations introduces stricter standards for training, documentation, container performance and welfare controls across the live animal airfreight sector, increasing compliance expectations for airlines, handlers and forwarders. New rules place greater emphasis on formal competency-based staff training, tighter pre-acceptance checks, and higher-specification transport containers capable of withstanding complex operational conditions, particularly on long-haul and interline shipments. The revised framework strengthens welfare-focused measures, including closer scrutiny of high-risk breeds, stricter environmental controls and more rigorous journey planning, while also increasing operational costs and reducing cargo flexibility due to higher space requirements and tighter handling standards.
