CargoJet Pet Shipping from Hamilton and Moncton

The two origins: YHM and YQM

We use CargoJet out of two airports:

• Hamilton International (YHM).Our Ontario origin point for pets going to Western Canada or the Maritimes. Hamilton is CargoJet's main hub.
• Greater Moncton (YQM). Our Atlantic origin point for pets heading to Ontario, Quebec, or across the country.

From either origin, CargoJet reaches all 14 of its Canadian facilities. See the full CargoJet network with the facility address for every city.

When air cargo is the right call

• Trip is longer than 18 hours of driving (e.g., Halifax to Vancouver, Moncton to Calgary)
• Destination is in Western Canada or the North where ground transport isn't practical
• Weather conditions favour air over ground for a specific window
• Timing matters (adopter flying in soon, buyer on short notice)

When ground transport beats air

• Trip is under 12 hours of driving
• The pet is very young, elderly, or medically fragile
• Temperature extremes are in effect (most summer/winter days for live animal embargo)
• You want real-time updates throughout the trip

What CargoJet shipping involves

1. IATA-compliant crate. Live animal transport by air requires a crate meeting IATA Live Animal Regulations. Size, ventilation, door orientation, and labelling are all specified. We source or recommend crates.
2. No vet paperwork for domestic shipments. CargoJet does not require a health certificate or a rabies certificate for pets flying inside Canada. That saves you a vet appointment and at least $100. Cross-border moves into or out of the United States are a different story and do need the full paperwork, which we handle.
3. CargoJet booking.Flights are booked through CargoJet directly with the animal's details, flight number, and receiving contact.
4. Drop-off at cargo.Three hours ahead of the scheduled flight. We handle this if we're picking up the pet from a breeder or rescue.
5. Flight. Temperature-controlled cargo hold, and shorter than most people expect. Moncton to Hamilton is under two hours. Hamilton to Calgary is about three and a half. Hamilton to Vancouver, the longest domestic run, is about five.
6. Cargo pickup at destination. We can coordinate with a ground transport partner in the destination city, or the buyer can pick up directly at the cargo facility.

Cost expectations

We are not going to publish a price list we would have to walk back. CargoJet sets its own cargo rate, and it moves with the weight of the pet, the size of the IATA crate, the destination, and the fuel surcharge in effect that month. We price it at booking and show you the actual CargoJet figure rather than a marked-up estimate.

Two costs to plan for. First, the CargoJet air fee. Second, our ground transport to the warehouse and away from it at the other end, quoted on distance from YHM or YQM. Send us the pet, the origin, and the destination and you get both numbers in writing before anything is booked.

The paperwork (domestic Canada)

This is the part that surprises people. For a pet flying inside Canada on CargoJet, there is no vet paperwork at all:

• IATA-compliant crate labelled with the animal's details
• Receiving contact info (phone, email, address)
• Food and water bowls attached to the crate per IATA rules

No health certificate. No rabies certificate. Passenger airlines and most US-bound routes require both, so plenty of breeders budget for a vet visit they do not actually need on a domestic CargoJet flight. That is at least $100 back in your pocket.

Cross-border shipments into or out of the United States are the opposite. Those need the rabies certificate, the health certificate, and CFIA, USDA, or CDC documentation depending on direction. See our cross-border requirements page.

Worth knowing if you are flying a puppy into Canada: a pet in an aircraft hold is travelling unaccompanied, exactly as it would be in a transport vehicle, so a puppy under 8 months needs the examined health certificate either way. The flight time is what makes it tighter, because you cannot move it to protect the 72-hour window. See accompanied vs. unaccompanied.

Hybrid: ground + cargo

Our most common setup for really long trips: pet flies CargoJet from origin airport to destination airport, we handle the ground leg on one or both ends.

Example: Breeder in PEI sells a puppy to a buyer near Calgary. We drive from PEI to YQM, handle CargoJet drop-off, the puppy flies to YYC. Either a Calgary ground partner or the buyer picks up at YYC cargo. That's a 24-hour total journey for a puppy that would otherwise be a 4-day drive.

Book a CargoJet coordinated shipment

If you're unsure whether ground or air is right for your trip, request a quote and we'll send you both options. Or see our ground vs. air comparison guide.