Certified service dogs are permitted in the cabins of all Air New Zealand domestic and international aircraft when they are accompanying and assisting a person with a disability.
Additionally dogs undertaking recognised service dog training are permitted in the cabin on domestic New Zealand services for training purposes. There is no charge for service dogs approved for travel by Air New Zealand who are travelling with their handler on Air New Zealand flights.
In order to accommodate you and your service dog Air New Zealand requires 48 hours notice prior to your intended flight and that you check in 1 hour prior to our standard check in time.
To help prepare for your travel, please note the following:
- The dog must wear an identification tag with the owner's name, address and telephone number and be controlled by a choker chain at all times.
- During flight your dog must be restrained by threading their lead through the seat belt or around the seat bar located under the seat. Crew will assist with this when required.
- We will provide an absorbent mat for the guide dog to sit on. But please prepare the dog for the journey by exercising and limiting its fluid intake for several hours before boarding the aircraft.
- For flights to/from/via the US specific regulations apply - please see below for further details.
Please note - Air New Zealand will only accept a service dog in the cabin of the aircraft when the dog has been specifically trained to alleviate the effects of a physical disability such as visual, hearing or mobility impairments. It must have been trained to a recognised standard (including training to cope with air travel) and be registered with a recognised organisation capable of assessing the standard to which the dog has been trained.
For seeing / hearing guide dogs Air New Zealand will, subject to availability on the day of travel allocate an extra seat next to you to provide additional floor space for your dog when travelling in Economy class. Where this is not possible we will give you the option of changing travel dates or having your dog sit within the space in front of your seat.
Additionally for Flights to / from / via the USA Air New Zealand complies with the service dog requirements for foreign airlines under the US DoT regulations.
Important information regarding service dogs:
- Due to FAA and CAA requirements to have an obstruction free aisle, travel in Business Premier on a 777 aircraft may not be possible. Please contact us to discuss options if required.
- Due to the size of the aircraft and our requirement under Civil Aviation Authority regulations to have the aircraft aisle clear at all times it is only possible to accommodate 1 service dog per flight on the BEH 1900 (Beech 1900D) aircraft which flies within New Zealand. We apologise in advance if we are unable to accommodate you and your dog on the flight you prefer. We will do all possible to accommodate you on the next available service or where acceptable to you carry your dog in the hold without charge, please note that you will be required to provide an acceptable cage in this instance.
- Most countries that Air New Zealand flies to have strict animal import regulations which must be adhered to including pre-approval for travel. Failure to provide details of the required documentation during the booking and check-in process may result in your dog not being permitted to travel, this includes returning to New Zealand.
