On Dec 15, 2024, at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, a pet dog prepares to board a pet charter flight operated by Hainan Airlines from Northwest China's Xi'an to the southern city of Sanya. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's Hainan Airlines on Friday launched its in-cabin pet service on the Beijing-Bangkok flight, as an experimental move to allow passengers to bring their pet companions aboard international flights.

The airline accepts domesticated cats and dogs meeting specific requirements for in-cabin transport, and each passenger on international routes can bring only one pet into the cabin, with a limited number of pets allowed on each flight.

The applying passenger must prepare and submit required documentation, including the animal health certificate, proof of pet vaccination, pet identification, entry documents, and must sign a transport agreement.

According to the airline, the service is currently available only in the economy class on its Beijing-Bangkok round-trip route, and the company will consider gradually expanding the service to more international and regional routes in the future based on passenger demand and operational conditions.

Hainan Airlines has been a pioneer in pet-in-cabin services since 2018. By November 2024, the carrier had transported more than 10,000 pets in-cabin across trips involving 27 major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

According to an industry white paper, the value of China's urban pet (dog and cat) sector reached 300.2 billion yuan ($42 billion) in 2024, up 7.5% year on year, with the pet population nationwide exceeding 120 million.

Driven by the growing pet-owning community, China has continued to expand travel options for pets.