Mira Vista Aviation knows ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind, even if they’re furry and have four legs.
The archipelago of Hawaii sees on average 9.3 million tourists a year. Of the 195 countries in the world, Hawaii represents one of only ten locations that are entirely rabies free.
Due to this anomaly, the state has mandated strict regulations surrounding the importation of domestic animals for any length of time. The mandate results in only 3.3 million tourists on average traveling with their pets due to strict regulations and misinformation.
With Mira Vista Aviation, a boutique jet charter, and management company out of Los Angeles, leaving your furry-friends behind can become a habit of the past. We’ve condensed this complex approval process into five simple steps to ensure your pets are in and out of quarantine in five days or less.
The first step to getting your pet into Hawaii is to ensure they have their rabies vaccinations up to date. They must have had at least two vaccinations in their lifetime, and the injections must have taken place more than 30 days apart. Aim to plan your trip more than four months out as the most recent vaccination has to have been performed at least 90 days before arriving at the island.
While gathering the vaccination documents, check with your care provider that your pet has a microchip. You can check off steps two and three at this time as you need to have an OIE-FAVN rabies test conducted to have a microchip inserted. If your pet already has a microchip, ask the vet to check the performance of it while performing the OIE-FAVN. You must obtain a report from your veterinarian labeled “DESTINATION: HAWAII” with the microchip serial number and the OIE-FAVN results.
Following the test, animals must wait a full 120 days before arriving in Hawaii. If your pet arrives earlier than permitted, they will be held in quarantine for 120 days and charged a boarding fee of $14.30 each day.
Once all veterinary trips finish you can complete step four; gather all health documents into a comprehensive file. You must provide officials with the original ink signature rabies vaccination certificates. The certificates must contain the vaccine name, the lot serial number of the vaccine, the vaccine administration date, and the vaccine expiration date.
Step five is where you say “mahalo” to your veterinary specialist, submit your rabies documents and call your Mira Vista Aviation flight team. From there it’s smooth sailing straight to the island of your choice. Don’t believe us? We sat down with a Mira Vista Charter Sales and Operation Specialist to answer any additional queries you may have.
Mira Vista: Upon booking a trip with Mira Vista, what can an owner expect when they and their domestic animal arrive at the FBO and board the aircraft?
Charter Sales and Operation Team: “There is no special handling for pets, they arrive with the traveling passengers and board together. Each pet must travel in a pet carrier and are generally placed in the luggage area of our aircraft. This is a pressurized area which is visible to the pet owner so they can maintain visual contact with their pet. Depending on the type of pet and if the pet is calm enough will we allow the pet to sit alongside the passenger, again, this is on a case by case basis. They cannot be in the aisle way, entryway, emergency exit areas or anywhere near the cockpit or entry/exit door.”
Mira Vista: Does flying private with your domestic animal ensure an easier turn around when dealing with the Animal Quarantine Branch?
Charter Sales and Operation Team: “Not necessarily, the pet's paperwork must be in order and their health must be agreeable to the AQB if not the animal will be quarantined, we are at the mercy of the quarantine branch just like the other carriers.”
Mira Vista: Does Mira Vista have any rules or regulations surrounding what domestic animals can fly on its jets?
Charter Sales and Operation Team: “Yes, dogs and cats are permitted, depending on the approval of the aircraft owner. Dogs and cats are permitted on a case by case basis. These animals must be legal to own, we must not be breaking any foreign or domestic law by transporting pets (endangered, illegal to own etc.) and they must come with accredited verified documentation by a veterinarian with a travel release.”
Mira Vista: Will Mira Vista’s concierge team aid in compiling the paperwork and information to get your pet into Hawaii?
Charter Sales and Operation Team: “We cannot handle any documentation regarding pets, this must be done by the owner of the pet traveling as they take full responsibility as the animal is owned by them and not Mira Vista. Mira Vista requires a copy of all forms which we must present to the Department of Agriculture upon arriving into Hawaii.”
Website: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/aqs-info/
Mira Vista: From the website it is important to know each respective island will issue a permit…
“The permit must be complete, and the respective airport label must be affixed to be valid. This notice/permit is required to inform the airline agent that the animal listed in the permit is eligible for inspection with the appropriate airport in Hawaii upon arrival. An inspector will meet the user or a designated airplane and escort the user to the place of inspection. The airport inspection permit is valid only for the permitted date and shall be held and not allowed to be released until the inspected is cleared for release by the state”
Mira Vista: What is the best advice you can offer when it comes to traveling with your pet to strict domestic animal locations such as Hawaii?
Charter Sales and Operation Team: “My best suggestion is to have a local vet clear the pet domestically and ensure that the pet is in good health prior to traveling. All documents must be with the pet owner and they must be compliant with the regulations and documentation stated by the Hawaiian Animal Industry Division with the Department of Agriculture.”
Please reference the following website: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/aqs-info/
