Air Canada Cargo and Airline Rules for Shipping Human Remains to Canada

You Cannot Book This Yourself

The first thing families learn — usually from a frustrated hour on the phone with an airline — is that individuals cannot book the transport of non-cremated human remains directly with any airline cargo division. Under Transport Canada, FAA, and IATA regulations, airlines only accept human remains shipments from a certified "Known Shipper": a licensed funeral home, registered freight forwarder, or specialized mortuary shipping agency.

This is why the US "sending" funeral home must be chosen carefully. A neighbourhood funeral home that handles domestic services may not have Known Shipper status with the airlines that fly the route you need. Ask the funeral home directly: "Do you have Known Shipper certification, and which airlines do you regularly ship with?"

How the Airline Programs Work

Air Canada Cargo (AC Compassionate) — Air Canada operates a dedicated human remains logistics program with climate-controlled handling, priority loading, and guaranteed connections. The funeral home books through Air Canada's cargo division, not through passenger reservations. Cargo fees are based on dimensional weight (the size of the casket and air tray, not body weight) and the route.

WestJet Cargo — WestJet also accepts human remains through its cargo service, with similar Known Shipper requirements. WestJet's route network is smaller than Air Canada's, which can limit options for smaller Canadian cities.

Other carriers — Delta, United, and American Airlines all operate cargo services that accept human remains on US domestic routes and some international routes. For US-to-Canada shipments, Air Canada is typically the most direct option because of its extensive Canadian domestic network — a body shipped Air Canada from Miami can connect through Toronto or Montreal to almost any Canadian city without changing carriers.

Standard express cargo services like Air Canada Expedair explicitly exclude human remains from their eligible shipments. Do not assume that any cargo booking option will work — the funeral home must use the dedicated human remains program.

Casket and Container Standards

Airlines require three layers of containment:

Embalming. Not federally mandated for all transport, but effectively required by all commercial airlines for international shipments. Embalming preserves the remains for the transit period and prevents decomposition-related issues in pressurized cargo holds.

Hermetically sealed inner container. An airtight container — typically a zinc- or copper-lined casket or a sealed metal transfer capsule — that prevents any fluid leakage or odour. This is non-negotiable for air transport.

Outer air tray. A wood-and-cardboard transit shell that protects the casket during automated loading, fits standard cargo containers (ULD units), and allows ground crews to handle the shipment with standard equipment. The funeral home builds or sources this to match the specific airline's dimensional requirements.

The funeral home handles all three — families do not need to source containers or trays independently. The total cost for preparation (embalming, casket, hermetic seal, air tray) typically runs $3,000 to $6,000 CAD, separate from the airline cargo fee.

Cargo Fees and Routing

Airline cargo fees for human remains vary by route and carrier. A ballpark for US-to-Canada air freight: $1,500 to $4,000 CAD, depending on origin city and destination. Longer routes (Hawaii to Nova Scotia) cost more than shorter ones (Buffalo to Toronto).

The funeral home books the cargo space, prepares all shipping documentation (burial-transit permit, Certificate of Shipment of Body Out of State, death certificate), and delivers the casket-in-air-tray to the airline's cargo facility. The receiving Canadian funeral home picks up the shipment at the destination airport's cargo terminal.

Routing matters. A death in a small US city without direct flights to Canada may require ground transport to a major airport first, then air freight. The US funeral home and the airline's cargo team coordinate the logistics — but the family should ask about routing before committing, because an extra ground leg adds cost and time.

The Receiving End

At the Canadian airport, the shipment clears CBSA before the receiving funeral home takes possession. CBSA checks the death certificate for cause of death and inspects the container seal. If the paperwork is in order and the container meets requirements, clearance is straightforward.

The receiving funeral home then transports the remains to their facility for the family's chosen final disposition — burial, a funeral service followed by burial or cremation, or holding until the family is ready.

The Full Logistics Workflow

The Canadian Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide includes the complete airline cargo booking process, container specifications, route planning guidance, and a cost worksheet for comparing air freight against ground transport and local cremation alternatives.