Airline Cargo for Human Remains: A Guide for U.S. Funeral Homes

Most major airlines carry human remains as air cargo, not as checked baggage. A U.S. funeral home usually needs to be set up as a known shipper with each airline, reserve in advance, use an approved container such as a casket in an air tray or combination unit, and present the right documents. For international shipments, the step that most often decides the schedule is coordination with the destination: who receives, what the consulate requires and which airport and hours apply.

If you are a funeral director who has just been asked to send a family member home to Latin America, you already know the domestic side. The international side adds more than a longer flight: another country's paperwork, another funeral home on the receiving end and an airline route that may change. This guide covers how airline cargo handles human remains, the questions we see most often, and where coordination makes a difference.

Reviewed November 2026. This guide is general information for professionals, not legal advice. Airline and government requirements change, so always confirm with the carrier and the destination. See our editorial policy.

How air cargo for human remains works

• Remains travel as cargo. Most airlines treat human remains as a specialized cargo product with an air waybill (AWB), a reservation and a defined acceptance and pick-up process at the airline's cargo facility. Many airlines do not accept remains as checked baggage.
• Drop-off is at the cargo terminal. Funeral homes normally deliver the shipment to the airline's cargo facility rather than the passenger terminal, and there is typically no ramp-side access. Acceptance hours are often limited.
• Reservations come first. Airlines commonly ask for a few days' notice. Routes with connections can change, so dates remain estimates until the AWB is confirmed.
• Cost depends on weight, volume, route and airline. Rates for a single shipment vary widely, so request a quote from the airline or a forwarder.

Known shipper and TSA

Cargo that flies on passenger aircraft in the U.S. must come from a shipper the airline or TSA has recognized. TSA describes the system on its cargo programs page. In practice, for human remains, this means funeral homes generally register with each airline as a known shipper before tendering a shipment. The registration may involve an application, a facility check and a fee, and it is handled separately by each carrier. If you have not shipped with an airline before, start this step early.

Cremated remains are a different case. TSA's screening guidance covers carry-on and checked bags, and some airlines do not allow cremated remains in checked bags. Shipments as cargo follow the airline's cargo rules. Check the carrier before you promise anything to a family.

Containers: casket, air tray and combination unit

The airline will specify the container. In general:

• A casket, or an approved metal container, must be secured and enclosed in an outer shipping container or air tray with handles, enough rigidity and padding to be moved safely. Trade sources describe a minimum number of handles and a wood base with straps as common requirements.
• Many destination countries or airlines expect a hermetically sealed casket or a zinc-lined case for a body. Confirm the standard for the airline and the country.
• Cremated remains travel in a sturdy sealed container, and the paperwork includes the cremation certificate.

Ask the airline for the written container specification before you buy or build the packaging.

Documents for an international shipment

The list depends on the destination, and this is where we see the most last-minute changes. Typical items include:

• Certified death certificate, often with an apostille (see the guide to the death certificate apostille)
• Embalming certificate for a body, or cremation certificate for ashes
• Transit or burial permit from the local authority
• In some countries, a certificate that the death was not from a contagious disease
• Letter from the funeral home confirming the contents
• Passport copy and identity of the next of kin
• Air waybill with consignee name, address and phone
• Consular documents or legalization, when the destination requires them
• Official translation, when the destination requires it

The airline does not set the destination's rules, and the destination does not set the airline's. You have to satisfy both. Confirm the destination with the consulate or the receiving funeral home before you book.

What about specific airlines?

Airlines publish their own procedures, and they change. A few notes, with a caution that you must confirm each one:

• Delta Cargo. Delta publishes procedures for human remains through its cargo operation. As with other major carriers, expect a known shipper setup, an advance reservation, container requirements and station-specific drop-off and pick-up hours. Check the current requirements with Delta Cargo before you book.
• Southwest Cargo. Southwest's public support page says cremated remains are not accepted as checked baggage and directs shippers to its cargo customer care for cargo shipments. Trade sources describe it accepting non-cremated remains in a casket or combination unit when properly enclosed. Southwest's international network is small and leisure-oriented, so for most of Latin America the shipment will need a different carrier or a connection. Confirm both the policy and the route with Southwest Cargo.
• Any airline. Ask for the written requirements, the station's acceptance hours, the cut-off times and the pick-up process at the destination airport.

This is not a recommendation of any airline. Choose by route, schedule, handling record and what the receiving side can manage.

Why you should coordinate with the destination first

International shipments do not end when the plane lands. The cargo has to be received, cleared and moved to a funeral home or a family. Problems we see often:

• No one confirmed who accepts the cargo or at what hours. Cargo terminals have their own opening times.
• The consignee's paperwork does not match the AWB or the death certificate.
• The consulate wanted a document the funeral home did not know about.
• Customs or health authorities ask for an extra permit.
• The route changes and the family has already fixed a funeral date.

A written plan with the consignee, the airport, the hours, the documents and the transport on arrival prevents most of these. The plan should name one contact on each side.

How Eternimax supports funeral homes

Eternimax is a coordination company, not a funeral home. We work alongside U.S. funeral homes that have a family who needs an international transfer. You keep your relationship with the family. We help with the coordination layer: confirming the document list with the destination, connecting with an independent receiving funeral home, relaying provider requests, updating the family in English and Spanish and following up on each milestone. The licensed providers perform the underlying services. We do not issue documents or give legal advice.

To see how we work with funeral homes and other organizations, visit for organizations. For a view of the whole process, see how international repatriation works and repatriation cost. If a family asks you about ashes, point them to body or ashes.

Frequently asked questions