As the cargo arm of the world’s largest international airline, Emirates SkyCargo helps keep families connected by moving pets all over the world, every day. Behind every journey – and every wagging tail – is a finely tuned operation that prioritises the highest levels of comfort and care for furry travellers in the clouds, and on the ground.
In 2025, Emirates SkyCargo transported over 14,600 cats, dogs and other domestic pets – an average of 40 pets every day! These globetrotting critters travelled all over the airline’s network, with the top cities including London, Melbourne, Glasgow, Cape Town, Paris, Mumbai, Toronto and, of course, Dubai. Over 1,000 pets made the ultra-long haul relocation flight from the UK to Australia or New Zealand, and another 100 travelled even further, leaving the snowy tundra of Canada for the outback of Australia.
No matter the pet, nor the distance, Emirates SkyCargo provides a stress-free journey for the traveller and their human family, with its bespoke Pet solution. Fully compliant with IATA’s Live Animal Regulations (LAR), the service is safe, comfortable and reliable, with the Emirates flair for hospitality. All animals departing, arriving or transiting through Dubai are hosted at a dedicated Pet Lounge that offers a calm and relaxing space to unwind, with 24/7 animal care specialists on-site to offer exercise, cleaning, feeding, and cuddles on demand. Specially designed vehicles chauf-fur pets between the lounge and aircraft, and ensure they are last on and first off, just like all VIP flyers. It goes without saying that all facilities, aircraft and ground vehicles are temperature-controlled to enable comfortable travel, even in Dubai’s summer months.
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Not only has Emirates SkyCargo won the pets ‘pawprint of approval’, but the industry’s too. The airline was recently recognised by the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) as the airline of choice for animal transports, winning top spot in four out of six regions. Emirates SkyCargo, who has been a key member of IPATA since 2015, has been recognised by the industry’s leading association every year it has participated.
Dennis Lister, Senior Vice President of Product and Innovation, Emirates SkyCargo, said, “As a team of pet parents ourselves, we have designed a solution that prioritises each animal’s comfort, safety and care at every step of their journey. Across our vast global network, we deliver a consistent service underpinned by expert teams of specialists and world-class infrastructure to offer peace of mind to our customers – both the animals and their human companions. We will continue to invest in our solution and operations to deliver an outstanding experience.”
Beyond pet services, Emirates SkyCargo also offers specialised solutions for the movement of other animals. The airline’s Equine solution is widely regarded as world-class, providing an unbeatable in-flight experience with purpose-designed stalls complete with adjustable roofs, ventilation covers to control light and temperature and onboard F&B including hay nets, shavings and water. At Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), the airline offers custom-designed facilities, including 45 horse stalls and a permanent horse ramp, which allows horses to be easily transferred from ground transport vehicles to the horse stalls, thereby mitigating any risk of injury.
This year, Emirates SkyCargo transported over 2,600 horses, including eight prized Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna to the UAE for the opening of the Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts School in November. The world-famous white horses flew from Frankfurt to Dubai with Equine.
From domestic cats to jungle cats, Emirates SkyCargo is an active participant in wildlife rescue missions. Working closely with world-renowned animal welfare organisations, this year Emirates SkyCargo transported four lion cubs from a life in captivity into a sanctuary in South Africa, where they are now able to roam freely in a protected environment. The airline continues its longstanding campaign to keep wildlife wild, taking a zero-tolerance stand against illegal wildlife trafficking and the carriage of all hunting trophies, even where permissible by law.
