Dog Kennel Size Calculator
What size kennel does my dog need to fly?
Too big for the cabin? Then your dog flies in the hold of your own plane, pressurised and temperature-controlled, in a hard kennel that follows the IATA Live Animals Regulations (Container Requirement 1). This is where most dogs get turned away at check-in, so the kennel needs the right size and the right build.
How to measure your dog
Measure your dog standing, in cm or inches:
- A: from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail (not the tip).
- B: from the floor to the elbow.
- C: the width across the shoulders, or the widest point.
- D: from the floor to the top of the head or the tips of the ears, whichever is higher.
The IATA formula
Your dog must be able to stand without touching the roof, sit upright, turn around and lie down normally. That gives these minimum inside sizes:
- Length = A + ½ B
- Width = C × 2
- Height = D + the thickness of the bedding
- Flat-nosed breeds: 10% bigger.
Example: a dog 70 cm (27.5 in) from nose to tail root, 30 cm (12 in) to the elbow, 22 cm (8.5 in) across the shoulders and 60 cm (23.5 in) tall, with 3 cm (1 in) of bedding, needs a kennel of at least 85 × 44 × 63 cm (34 × 17 × 25 in) inside.
What a hold kennel must have
- Material: rigid plastic, fibreglass, metal or solid wood. No wire crates, and no soft or folding kennels.
- Top and bottom bolted together with metal nuts and bolts in every hole; plastic clips alone are not enough.
- The door: the whole of one end, with metal hinges and metal locking pins that go at least 1.6 cm into the kennel above and below. Secure it with cable ties in the four corners as well.
- Ventilation on all 4 sides, at least 16% of the side surface, mostly in the upper two-thirds, with openings no bigger than 25 × 25 mm.
- A water bowl fixed inside that you can fill from outside without opening the door. A bottle dispenser doesn't count. Tape a small bag of food to the top in case of delays.
- Absorbent bedding on a solid, leak-proof floor, such as a towel or puppy pad. No straw.
- No wheels: take them off or make them unusable.
- Labels: a green "Live Animals" label and "This Way Up" arrows on two opposite sides, plus your dog's name, your phone number and your destination.
The biggest kennel each airline accepts
Bigger isn't always allowed: the kennel has to fit through the hold door. These are the maximum outside sizes the airlines publish (length × width × height, checked September 2026). The weight limit for dog and kennel together also differs per airline, see 27 airlines compared.
| Airline | Maximum kennel (cm) | Maximum kennel (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels Airlines | 125 × 75 × 85 | 49.2 × 29.5 × 33.4 |
| KLM, bigger planes | 122 × 81 × 89 | 48 × 31.8 × 35 |
| TUI Netherlands and Belgium | 121 × 81 × 86 | 47.6 × 31.8 × 33.8 |
| Aegean | 105 × 75 × 79 | 41.3 × 29.5 × 31.1 |
| Transavia, and KLM on European Boeing 737 and Embraer flights | 102 × 69 × 76 | 40.1 × 27.1 × 29.9 |
Is your dog's kennel too big for every airline? Then it can usually only travel as cargo.
Before you buy the kennel
- Shops usually list the outside size. Compare the inside size with the calculator above.
- A label saying "IATA" doesn't guarantee a kennel passes: check it against the list above yourself.
- Get it a few weeks early and let your dog sleep in it at home, so it's a familiar place on the day.
See hard travel kennels on Amazon →
Small enough for the cabin instead? Read which dog carrier bag is really airline-approved. And use the free Dog Flight Checker to see which airlines take your dog in the cabin or the hold.
Sources: IATA Live Animals Regulations, 52nd edition (2026), Container Requirement 1; airline pet pages, checked September 2026. Always confirm the kennel rules with your airline before you buy.