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Shipping Human Remains
Southwest Airlines® Cargo understands the care and respect that is required when transporting loved ones to their final resting place. Our Southwest Support® service provides professional and reliable transportation for funeral homes and mortuary services.
Cities ServedSouthwest Support service is available to destinations across the Southwest Airlines network. To view these locations, visit our Southwest Airlines Cargo zone map. Please Note: Southwest Support service is not available to/from Interline or Road Feeder Service destinations.
Shipping Information- Advance arrangements are required.
- View our Southwest Support rate sheets.
- Shipper must comply with all local, state, federal, and international regulations
- Shipping containers containing dry ice will be subject to our current dry ice policy. Wet ice is not allowed.
- Human remains, other than cremated remains, must be adequately secured in a casket, approved metal container, or combination unit to prevent shifting and escape of offensive odors.
- Unembalmed remains must be placed inside two sealed body bags; or a sealed casket or metal container that prevents the escape of offensive odors or fluids; and then placed in an approved outside container that will adequately protect the contents from damage with ordinary care and handling.
- All human remains containers, other than a combination unit, must be placed in an approved outside container that will adequately protect the contents from damage with ordinary care and handling.
- All shipping containers must be new and cannot be reused.
- All human remains shipments must appropriately display the label "head" on the outer shipping container to assist handlers in aircraft loading and unloading operations.
- Appropriate documentation must accompany all human remains. This includes either a signed certificate of death, burial permit, and/or burial transit removal permit as mandated by local, state, and government regulations.
- Maximum allowable weight is 500 lbs.
- Book human remains shipments in advance by contacting our Southwest Support Customer Care Center. We recommend that Customers book Southwest Support shipments at least 24 hours prior to departure. And, Southwest Support shipments may be booked up to seven days in advance.
- Southwest Support Customer Care Center is open seven days a week for our Customers to book transportation of human remains. Contact (888) 922-9525 Monday-Friday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (central time) and Saturday-Sunday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (central time).
- You must be a Known Shipper or a TSA approved Indirect Air Carrier to transport items on Southwest Airlines Cargo.
- All shipments must be tendered at the Southwest Airlines Cargo origin facility and picked up at the Southwest Airlines Cargo destination facility.
- Unless prior arrangements have been made, all shipments should be dropped off/picked up within the origin/destination cargo facility's hours of operation.
- It is recommended that all shipments be tendered at least two (2) hours prior to scheduled departure time.
