U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing new rules regarding the import of dogs to the United States due to the risk of rabies. The new rules are forcing Finnair to restrict the transportation of dogs in the cabin and in the hold to the United States as of 1 August 2024. The new regulatory requirements will require dogs to have an air waybill document. The air waybill document is related to cargo traffic and is prepared by a forwarding company. Currently, the US customs authorities are unable to confirm whether they will be able to handle the air waybills as required by the new regulations. Also, travel-related systems do not allow us to attach the document to a passenger booking and process it, which is why it is currently not possible for us to meet the CDC requirements. If health regulations are not followed, you as a customer may face challenges in the U.S. entry process; for example, the dog may be denied entry into the country and returned to the country of origin.

Unfortunately, we cannot confirm new bookings for dogs travelling to the USA, either in the cabin or in the hold, until further notice. The restriction concerns only dogs, and there are no changes to the transportation of other pets. It is still possible to transport dogs as cargo, read more on Finnair Cargo webpage.

If you have booked a direct Finnair flight to the USA with a dog

We, unfortunately, have to cancel all reservations for dogs that have been confirmed for our flights from Helsinki to the USA starting from 1 August 2024. If you have an existing booking confirming transportation of a dog on a direct Finnair flight to the USA, please contact our customer service. If you booked your ticket through a travel agency or a tour operator, please contact them to make changes to your reservation or to apply for a refund. We have contacted customers with pets in the booking personally by email.

Assistance and service dogs

Updated information about travelling with assistance and service dogs to the USA: Assistance and service dogs are subject to the new CDC requirements. We are currently investigating if carrying assistance and service dogs on our flights is possible as of 1 August 2024, in order to meet the requirements of both CDC and the Air Carrier Access Act, which determines air carriers' requirements to accommodate the needs of passengers with disabilities. If you have a Finnair flight to the USA with an assistance or service dog on or after 1 August, we will contact you directly as soon as we have more information.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience and the worry this situation may cause you.

You can see your passenger rights here.