Your pets are part of your ‘ohana and their comfort and safety are important to Hawaiian Airlines. We are happy to accommodate your pet in the pressurized, temperature-controlled cargo compartment of our aircraft.
Hawaiian Airlines accepts domesticated dogs, cats and household birds for transport as checked baggage on your flight. For information on our policies regarding acceptance of live animals, please see our Contract of Carriage Rule 19. Pets are prohibited as checked baggage on all international routes.
Other types of animals or those that do not qualify for travel as checked baggage may be eligible for transport through Hawaiian Airlines Cargo. Please visit www.hawaiianaircargo.com, or call 1-877-HA-CARGO (422-2746) to check for options.
Hawaii is the only rabies-free state in the US. To maintain this, the State of Hawaii has strict regulations, restrictions and several requirements that must be completed prior to travel. We encourage you to contact the State if Hawaii Animal Industry Division – Department of Agriculture Animal Quarantine Department for information regarding requirements, travel arrangements and fees to enter the State of Hawaii.
HNL is the only airport in Hawaii with an on-site Hawaii Department of Agriculture Animal Quarantine Facility (AQF). Hours of operation are 8:30AM to 4:30 PM HST, but may change at the AQF’s discretion. Non-stop flights from to HNL do not require a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit (NIIP).
Lihue, Kahului, and Kona airports do not have an on-site Hawaii Department of Agriculture Animal Quarantine Facility. For direct flights from the US Mainland to LIH, OGG or KOA, a valid Neighbor Island Inspection Permit (NIIP) from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture is required for travel. Birds are not eligible for a NIIP and must enter Hawaii via HNL.
Household birds traveling on interisland flights between the Hawaiian Islands require inspection by the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture before they can be accepted for travel. Once the bird is inspected and cleared, the Interisland Inspection Certificate (“PASSED” sticker) will be issued and affixed to the kennel.
Hawaiian Airlines requires pets to travel with an animal health certificate, depending on their route. You are responsible for obtaining an animal health certificate from your pet’s treating veterinarian, prior to the date of travel as follows:
Hawaiian Airlines only allows a limited quantity of animals to be transported in the baggage compartment of the aircraft, which are accommodated on a first-booked basis. To reserve space for your animal, we encourage you to provide at least 48-hours advance notification of your intent to travel with your pet by contacting our Reservations Department at 1-800-367-5320.
If your travel plans include another airline carrier, please contact them directly to obtain information and fees specific to that other carrier. Animals traveling as checked baggage are not eligible for connection between airlines.
Due to respiratory difficulties an animal may experience while in transit and in Hawaii’s tropical climate, it is highly discouraged and not recommended that brachycephalic (short-nosed) animals travel as checked baggage.
Brachycephalic breeds include, but are not limited to, the following dog and cat breeds, and any mixed-breed dogs or cats containing one or more of the following breeds:
| Examples of Snub Nosed Dog Breeds | Examples of Snub Nosed Cat Breeds |
|---|---|
| American Bully | Burmese |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | Exotic |
| American Pit Bull Terrier | Himalayan |
| Boston Terrier | Persian |
| Boxer | |
| Brussels Griffon | |
| Bulldog | |
| Bull Mastiff | |
| Bull Terrier | |
| Chow Chow | |
| Dutch Pug | |
| English Bulldog | |
| English Toy Spaniel | |
| French Bulldog | |
| Japanese Pug | |
| Japanese Spaniel (Chin) | |
| Lhasa Apso | |
| Pekingese | |
| Pit Bull | |
| Pug | |
| Shar Pei | |
| Shih Tzu | |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier |
Pets are not permitted to travel as baggage on following routes:
Household birds are only permitted to enter Hawaii on a non-stop flight direct to HNL. Once cleared in HNL, they may be transported to another island.
Due to extreme weather conditions, pets are not permitted to travel as baggage during the annual embargo period from April 15th to October 15th. The seasonal embargo applies to/from the following cities:
We will not accept your pet for travel in the baggage compartment of the aircraft if the environmental conditions pose a risk to their safety. The local temperature at your origin, destination, or connection airport must not be above 85F / 29C during transport and must not be below 20F / -7C. For temperatures between 20F / -7C and 45F / 7C, a current acclimation certificate from the animal’s veterinarian dated within 10 days of travel is required. Please refer to our Contract of Carriage Rule 19 for more information.
Hawaiian Airlines complies with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements.
You are responsible for obtaining a kennel for your animal, as we do not provide animal kennels. All animal kennels are subject to inspection and approval by Hawaiian Airlines before your animal is accepted for travel.
Effective June 1, 2023 our animal kennel requirements have been updated.
View the Hawaiian Airlines kennel compliance guide for animals traveling as checked baggage here
Hawaiian Airlines permits a limited quantity of animals to be transported in the baggage compartment of each aircraft. Animals will be accommodated on a first-booked basis.
A single kennel may contain only one of the following options:
Hawaiian Airlines reserves the right to require documentation from the animals treating veterinarian to determine the animals’ age and eligibility to travel.
To ensure the health and safety of your pet, all self-service check-in options will be restricted. You and your pet will be required to check-in with a Hawaiian Airlines agent at the front counter before proceeding to the gate. This allows our personnel to inspect your pet, their kennel and applicable documents.
We ask that you check in 3 hours prior to the scheduled departure time, and have printed, hard copies of all documents in hand to help expedite the process.
The following fees will apply per kennel for animals traveling as checked baggage: