AVIH (Animal in Hold) — Animal in Hold

Overview

AVIH (from the French "Animal Vivant in Hold") is a standard IATA SSR code airlines and travel agents use to flag a booking as carrying a live animal — most commonly a pet — traveling in an approved kennel or crate within the aircraft's cargo hold, rather than accompanying the owner in the cabin. It is one of many codes defined under IATA's Special Service Request framework (see the related SSR entry).

AVIH vs. PETC

AVIH is distinct from PETC (Pet in Cabin), the code used when a small animal travels in an approved carrier under the seat in front of the passenger. The choice between the two depends on the animal's size and weight, the operating carrier's policy, and destination-country import rules:

Governing Standard: IATA Live Animals Regulations (LAR)

Animal transport by air — whether as excess baggage (AVIH), manifest cargo, or in-cabin (PETC) — is governed by IATA's Live Animals Regulations (LAR), the worldwide industry standard covering container/crate specifications, labeling, documentation, and species-specific handling requirements. Carriers layer their own rules on top of LAR baseline requirements.

Typical Requirements

Related Terms

AVIH bookings are unrelated to a passenger's own special assistance needs; it should not be confused with unaccompanied minor (UM) or PRM/wheelchair assistance codes, which concern human passengers.