How is a body transported on a plane?

Most people have some intuition that a body does not travel in the cabin with passengers. The reality of how remains are transported by air is more specific and regulated than many people realise.

The repatriation case

Human remains for international air transport are placed in a sealed, zinc-lined coffin or a specialist repatriation case. The zinc lining is required to make the container hermetically sealed — it prevents any leakage and meets the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) requirements for carriage of human remains.

In practice, a repatriation case is typically a cardboard or wooden outer case containing a sealed zinc inner case. The zinc inner case is sealed by the funeral director after embalming. It cannot be reopened without cutting through the zinc. This is an international standard requirement.

On arrival at the UK funeral director, the zinc case is transferred to the family’s chosen coffin for the funeral.

Checked in as cargo

Human remains travel as cargo, not as passenger baggage. The airline cargo department is the relevant point of contact, not the passenger booking system.

The local funeral director handles the cargo booking. They have accounts with airlines that carry human remains and know the documentation requirements for each route. Not all airlines carry human remains on all routes. Some smaller airlines and budget carriers do not have cargo facilities for this purpose.

A cargo air waybill is issued by the airline, and this document travels with the repatriation case throughout transit.

What the cargo hold is like

Cargo holds are pressurised and temperature-controlled on modern commercial aircraft. Conditions in the hold are not significantly different from conditions in the cabin. Human remains in a properly sealed repatriation case are not affected by the journey conditions.

The repatriation case is loaded through the aircraft’s cargo door and placed in the hold alongside other freight. On arrival, it is unloaded by the airline cargo handling team and held in the airline’s cargo facility until collected by the UK funeral director.

Documentation that travels with the remains

The repatriation case is accompanied by a documentation pouch. This typically contains:

• The burial transit permit
• The death certificate (certified copy)
• The embalming certificate
• The cargo air waybill
• The passport of the deceased (original)

These documents are required by UK customs and by the receiving UK funeral director. The documentation must not be left in the departure city.

Collection in the UK

The UK funeral director collects the repatriation case from the airline cargo facility at the UK airport. This requires advance notice to the airline and pre-arranged collection documentation.

The UK funeral director typically transfers the remains to their funeral home, where the zinc case is opened and the person is transferred to the family’s chosen coffin.

What families see on collection

This depends on what the family wants. If the family wishes to see the deceased before the funeral, the funeral director will arrange this after the transfer from the repatriation case. The condition of the body after embalming and transit is typically acceptable for viewing, but this varies with the circumstances of death.

Ask the UK funeral director about viewing options. They will give an honest assessment.

Ashes as an alternative

If the decision is made to cremate in the country of death and return ashes to the UK, the process is significantly different — and simpler. Ashes travel as hand luggage or hold luggage on a passenger flight, not as cargo. See our guide on bringing ashes home.