Flying with a pet in Turkey: Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and AJet rules

To take a cat or small dog into the cabin with Turkish Airlines (THY), Pegasus or AJet, your pet and its carrier together must weigh no more than 8 kg. On THY and AJet the carrier must be soft sided and no larger than 23x30x40 cm; on Pegasus the limit is 32x32x50 cm. On Pegasus and AJet the cabin fee is 750 TL on domestic flights and 65 euros on international ones; the THY fee is calculated per route. For pets over 8 kg, travel in the hold is offered by THY and on Pegasus domestic flights, but not by AJet for bookings made after 1 September 2025.

This comes from the airlines' official Turkish and English pages, checked on 29 October 2026. Rules and fees change often; confirm with the airline before buying.

All three airlines in one table (29 October 2026)

Rule	THY	Pegasus	AJet
Species accepted in the cabin	Cats, dogs, budgies, canaries	Domestic: cats, dogs, birds. International and Northern Cyprus (KKTC): cats, dogs	Cats, dogs, budgies, canaries
Cabin weight limit (pet and carrier)	8 kg	8 kg	8 kg
Cabin carrier size (height x width x length)	23x30x40 cm, soft carrier only	Up to 32x32x50 cm	23x30x40 cm, soft carrier only
Cabin fee, domestic	No fixed amount published; calculated per route on THY's fee calculator	750 TL	750 TL
Cabin fee, Northern Cyprus	Per route	900 TL	900 TL
Cabin fee, international (to or from Turkey)	Per route	65 EUR	65 EUR
Hold (AVIH)	Yes: up to 50 kg including the crate, crate up to 75x75x125 cm, hard sided	Domestic and Northern Cyprus only, cats and dogs. Not on international flights	Not available for bookings made on or after 1 September 2025
Hold fee	By route and weight band	Domestic: 8 to 15 kg 850 TL, over 15 kg 950 TL. Northern Cyprus: 1,000 TL and 1,100 TL	No service
Age limit	On European flights, unvaccinated kittens and puppies under 3 months only with their mother and a health certificate	Under 3 months not accepted	Under 10 weeks not accepted; cats aged 10 to 12 weeks with vet approval
Per passenger	Up to 2 carriers, only one in the cabin	Up to 2 animals per carrier; up to 3 cabin pets per flight	1 carrier at most
Booking	At least 6 hours before the flight; also possible on the website and app	Call centre or travel agent; add the pet right after buying the ticket, until check-in closes if quota allows	At least 6 hours before the flight, via the call centre

Source: THY, Pegasus and AJet official pet pages and fee tables (accessed 29 October 2026). Pegasus and AJet fees are copied exactly from the official tables. Pegasus lists its call centre as 0888 228 12 12 on its English pet page.

Why THY's fee is not in the table: THY's fee page lists weight categories for the cabin (PETC, 0 to 8 kg) and hold (AVIH: 0 to 23 kg, 24 to 32 kg, over 33 kg) but no amounts. The fee is per carrier and per route, from THY's Pet Transportation Fee Calculator; with a connection or stopover, each leg is priced separately and added up. Check your amount there before buying the ticket.

Breeds that are not accepted

Not carried at all

According to the THY and AJet pages, the following dog breeds and their crosses are not accepted under international aviation rules: Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Pitbull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and American Bully.

THY only via Turkish Cargo, AJet not at all

American Bulldog, Bandog, Tosa Inu, Caucasian Ovcharka, Dogue de Bordeaux, all Doberman types, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Mastiff (except Bull Mastiff), wolf dog hybrids, Anatolian Shepherd and Boerboel. THY does not carry these breeds as passenger baggage; they travel in the hold only if Turkish Cargo accepts them. AJet does not carry them at all.

Pegasus list

Pegasus gives the following breeds as examples it does not accept: American Pit Bull, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, American Staffordshire Terrier, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Doberman, Mastiff, American Bulldog, Caucasian Ovcharka, Neapolitan Mastiff and Chow Chow. Kangals are accepted up to 6 months of age.

Flat faced cats and dogs

Breeds prone to breathing problems (cats such as Persian, Exotic, Himalayan, Birman, Burmese, Scottish Fold and British Shorthair; dogs such as Pug, French and English Bulldog, Shih Tzu, Pekingese, Boxer, Boston Terrier, Chow Chow and similar) fly with THY and AJet only in the cabin, within 8 kg and 23x30x40 cm. THY has not taken them in the hold as passenger baggage since 1 October 2021. As of 29 October 2026, Pegasus's pet and fee pages have no separate rule for flat faced breeds; ask the call centre when you book.

Routes where pets cannot fly

United Kingdom: THY does not carry pets on flights whose final destination is the UK. Pegasus does not take pets on flights to or from the UK, and AJet does not take cabin pets on flights departing from or arriving in the UK.
Gulf: Pegasus does not carry pets on flights to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates or Qatar. AJet does not take cabin pets on flights to Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates.
Pegasus also does not accept pets on flights to or from Saudi Arabia and Ireland.

Documents

On domestic flights, THY asks for the Ev Hayvanı Pasaportu (Turkish pet passport) showing the microchip or other ID and the vaccinations; cats and dogs without a rabies vaccination are not accepted on domestic or international flights. AJet also asks for a vaccination card with ID details and requires the rabies vaccine to be at least 30 days and no more than 1 year old on the day of the flight. AJet and THY both require a microchip.

On international flights, the rules of your destination country apply. For flights to and from Turkey, THY asks for a Veterinary Health Certificate from an authorised official vet at the provincial or district directorate of the Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry), plus a rabies antibody (titer) test. AJet requires a titer test on all international flights except Baku. If you are heading to Europe, see our guide to travelling from Turkey to the EU with a pet; because of the waiting period after the titer test, preparation has to start months in advance.

Protected native breeds: Leaving Turkey with protected native animals such as the Kangal, Akbaş, Kars Shepherd Dog, Ankara (Angora) cat and Van cat requires approval or a certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, including when you adopted the animal in Turkey and want to take it home.

Practical tips for flight day

Seat: On THY and AJet, passengers flying with a cabin pet sit by the window; emergency exit rows and rows fitted for baby bassinets are not given.
The carrier goes under the seat in front and stays closed for the whole flight. You cannot take your pet out of the carrier on board.
No sedatives. THY refuses sedated pets. Ask your vet whether your pet is fit to fly; don't give medication on your own.
Weighing: Pet and carrier are weighed together; a 6 kg cat in a carrier over 2 kg breaks the limit.
Even with a confirmed booking, a pet can be refused at the airport if health, documents or sizes are not in order. Arrive early with every document.
AJet: Book the pet through the call centre at least 6 hours before departure and make sure it is confirmed. The official page says the fee is paid at the airport; a purchased cabin pet (PETC) fee can be refunded or changed up to departure time.
Pregnant animals are not accepted by THY or AJet.

If your pet is not flying with you

If your pet is over 8 kg and your route does not allow the hold, a reliable pet hotel or sitter at home for the length of your trip may be less stressful.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my cat in the cabin?

Yes, if your cat and its carrier together weigh no more than 8 kg and the carrier meets the airline's size limit: a 23x30x40 cm soft carrier on THY and AJet, up to 32x32x50 cm on Pegasus.

How much is the Pegasus cabin fee?

As of 29 October 2026: 750 TL domestic, 900 TL to Northern Cyprus, 65 euros international.

Can a large dog fly in the hold with AJet?

No. AJet does not carry live animals in the hold for bookings made on or after 1 September 2025.

Can one passenger fly with two cats?

On THY and AJet, two cats of the same species that are used to living together can share one carrier in the cabin, provided the total stays within 8 kg. Pegasus also allows up to two animals per carrier.

Can I fly to the UK with my pet?

Not as a passenger with these three airlines. For the UK's own entry rules and approved routes, check the UK government's official pages.