FLY WITHOUT FINS – Stop carriage of shark fins by airlines

Introduction

Why shark fins?

Shark finning means cutting off a shark’s fins, often while it’s still alive. The rest of the body is thrown overboard because it’s considered worthless. The shark sinks, suffocates, and bleeds to death. This happens every minute, around the world. 270,000 sharks are killed daily Learn more about shark finning and the trade here.

Why airlines?

Banning shark fin transport by air is vital for shark conservation. Once fins are cut off, it’s hard to identify the species. This makes it impossible to tell if they were taken legally under ‘Fins Naturally Attached’ rules or through illegal finning. Without this, shark protection and management collapse. DNA testing can help, but it’s slow and expensive.

A shark swimming over a reef with several pilot fish swimming on the sharks underside.

In many places, finning is still legal — and always brutal. Inspectors can’t check every shipment, so fins from endangered or CITES-protected species often slip through. Airlines are profiting from a cruel and often illegal trade that kills millions of sharks each year. This destroys marine biodiversity and threatens the ocean’s survival.

A total transport ban is the simplest and most effective solution.Fly Without Fins began during COVID, when airlines got $123 billion in bailouts — but sharks got none, and fishing increased. Banning fin transport boosts an airline’s eco-credentials and reputation with conscious consumers. Around 50 airlines and the Oneworld Alliance have already banned shark fins — but hundreds more must follow.

What you can do to help with other worldwide airlines? Send either a ‘Call for Change’ or ‘Thank You!’ message.

Once you’re logged into social messaging platform (BlueSky, Threads or Twitter), click the Messagebutton by the airlines you want to call to.
✅ Airlines that have declared they don’t carry sharks fins receive a ‘thank you and bravo’ tweet.
❌ Airlines that have not declared a policy banning the carriage of shark fins receive a ‘call for change’ tweet, asking them to implement a ban and stop facilitating and perpetuating the barbaric shark fin trade.
We want to see all airlines with ✅. When an airline publicly declares a ban on transporting shark fins they are moved from ❌ to ✅.
How often to message? No more than five times a day as Twitter thinks you’re a spam bot! Tweeting every few days to keep the pressure on and the message clear is perfect.

The two messages are :

Call to Change (for this to be effective, please tweet regularly)

Airlines and sharks can’t flywithoutfins.org. Sharks are vital for oceans but killed for shark fin soup. Many airlines still fly fins but got $123bn COVID-19 bailouts; sharks got none. Please STOP carrying shark fins. #IATA

Thank you!

Bravo and thank you for banning the carriage of shark fins on your airline. Why can’t all airlines do the same? #IATA

AIRLINES

Airlines	Fin-Free	Country
Aegean Airlines	✅	Greece
Aer Lingus	❌	Ireland
Aeroflot	❌	Russian Federation
Aerolineas Argentinas	❌	Argentina
Aeromexico	✅	Mexico
Africa World Airlines	✅	Ghana
Air Algérie	❌	Algeria
Air Arabia	❌	United Arab Emirates
Air Asia	❌	Malaysia
Air Astana	❌	Kazakhstan
Air Baltic	❌	Latvia
Air Botswana	❌	Botswana
Air Burkina	❌	Burkina Faso
Air Cairo	❌	Egypt
Air Caledonie	❌	New Caledonia
Air Canada	✅	Canada
Air Caraibes	❌	Guadeloupe
Air China	✅	China
Air Corsica	✅	France
Air Dolomiti	✅	Italy
Air Europa	❌	Spain
Air France	✅	France
Air India	❌	India
Air Macau	❌	Macao SAR, China
Air Malta	❌	Malta
Air Mauritius	❌	Mauritius
Air New Zealand	✅	New Zealand
Air Niugini	❌	Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Air Nostrum	❌	Spain
Air Peace	❌	Nigeria
Air Serbia	❌	Serbia
Air Seychelles	✅	Seychelles
Air Tahiti Nui	❌	French Polynesia
Air Tanzania	❌	Tanzania, United Republic of
Air Transat	❌	Canada
Air Vanuatu	❌	Vanuatu
AirBridgeCargo Airlines	❌	Russian Federation
Airlink	❌	South Africa
Alaska Airlines	✅	United States
Alitalia	❌	Italy
AlMasria Universal Airlines	❌	Egypt
American Airlines	✅	United States
ANA	❌	Japan
Arik Air	❌	Nigeria
Asiana Airlines	✅	Korea
ASL Airlines France	✅	France
Atlas Air	❌	United States
Austral	❌	Argentina
Austrian	✅	Austria
Avianca	❌	Colombia
Azerbaijan Airlines	❌	Azerbaijan
Azores Airlines	❌	Portugal
Azul Brazilian Airlines	❌	Brazil
Bamboo Airways	❌	Vietnam
Bangkok Airways	❌	Thailand
Batik Air	❌	Indonesia
Belavia Belarusian Airlines	❌	Belarus
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	❌	Bangladesh
Binter Canarias	❌	Spain
Blue Air	❌	Romania
BoA Boliviana de Aviacion	❌	Bolivia
British Airways	✅	United Kingdom
Brussels Airlines	✅	Belgium
Bulgaria Air	❌	Bulgaria
Cabo Verde Airlines	❌	Cape Verde
CAL Cargo Airlines	✅	Israel
Camair-Co	❌	Cameroon
Cambodia Angkor Air	❌	Cambodia
Cargojet Airways	❌	Canada
Cargolux	✅	Luxembourg
Caribbean Airlines	❌	Trinidad and Tobago
Carpatair	❌	Romania
Cathay Pacific	✅	Hong Kong SAR, China
Cebu Pacific	✅	Philippines
China Eastern	✅	China
China Express Airlines	❌	China
China Southern Airlines	✅	China
CityJet	❌	Ireland
Condor	❌	Germany
Congo Airways	❌	Congo, the Democratic Republic of the
COPA Airlines	✅	Panama
Corendon Airlines	❌	Turkey
Corsair International	✅	France
Croatia Airlines	❌	Croatia
Czech Airlines	❌	Czech Republic
Delta Air Lines	❌	United States
DHL Air	❌	United Kingdom
Eastern Airways	❌	United Kingdom
EasyJet	✅	United Kingdom
Egyptair	❌	Egypt
EL AL	❌	Israel
Emirates	✅	United Arab Emirates
Ethiopian Airlines	❌	Ethiopia
Etihad Airways	✅	United Arab Emirates
EuroAtlantic Airways	❌	Portugal
Eurowings	✅	Germany
EVA Air	✅	Chinese Taipei
Evelop Airlines	❌	Spain
FedEx Express	❌	United States
Fiji Airways	❌	Fiji
Finnair	✅	Finland
flydubai	❌	United Arab Emirates
Flynas	❌	Saudi Arabia
Freebird Airlines	❌	Turkey
Garuda Indonesia	✅	Indonesia
GOL Linhas Aereas	❌	Brazil
Gulf Air	❌	Bahrain
Hahn Air	✅	Germany
Hainan Airlines	❌	China
HiFly	❌	Portugal
Hong Kong Airlines and Cargo	❌	Hong Kong SAR, China
IBERIA	✅	Spain
Icelandair	❌	Iceland
IndiGo	❌	India
Interjet	❌	Mexico
Iran Air	❌	Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran Airtour Airline	❌	Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran Aseman Airlines	❌	Iran, Islamic Republic of
Japan Airlines	✅	Japan
Jazeera Airways	❌	Kuwait
JetBlue	❌	United States
Jin Air	❌	Korea
Jordan Aviation	❌	Jordan
Juneyao Airlines	❌	China
Kenya Airways	✅	Kenya
KLM	✅	Netherlands
Korean Air	✅	Korea
Kuwait Airways	❌	Kuwait
Lao Airlines	❌	Lao People's Democratic Republic
LATAM Airlines	✅	Argentina
LIAT Airlines	❌	Antigua and Barbuda
Lion Air	❌	Indonesia
Lucky Air	❌	China
Lufthansa	✅	Germany
Lufthansa Cargo	✅	Germany
Luxair	❌	Luxembourg
Mahan Air	❌	Iran, Islamic Republic of
Malaysia Airlines	✅	Malaysia
Malindo Air	❌	Malaysia
MEA	❌	Lebanon
Montenegro Airlines	❌	Montenegro
Myanmar Airways International	❌	Myanmar
NCA Nippon Cargo Airlines	❌	Japan
Neos	❌	Italy
Nesma Airlines	❌	Egypt
Nile Air	❌	Egypt
NordStar	❌	Russian Federation
Nordwind Airlines	❌	Russian Federation
Nouvelair	❌	Tunisia
Olympic Air	✅	Greece
Oman Air	❌	Oman
Onur Air	❌	Turkey
Overland Airways	❌	Nigeria
Peach	❌	Japan
Pegasus Airlines	❌	Turkey
PGA-Portugalia Airlines (TAP Portugal)	✅	Portugal
Philippine Airlines	✅	Philippines
PIA Pakistan International Airlines	❌	Pakistan
Polar Air Cargo	❌	United States
Precision Air	❌	Tanzania, United Republic of
Qantas	✅	Australia
Qatar Airways	✅	Qatar
Qazaq Air	❌	Kazakhstan
Ravn Alaska	❌	United States
Royal Air Maroc	✅	Morocco
Royal Brunei	❌	Brunei Darussalam
Royal Jordanian	✅	Jordan
Ruili Airlines	❌	China
RusLine	❌	Russian Federation
RwandAir	❌	Rwanda
Ryanair	✅	Ireland
Safair	✅	South Africa
SAS	❌	Sweden
SATA Air Azores	✅	Portugal
Saudi Arabian Airlines	❌	Saudi Arabia
SaudiGulf Airlines	❌	Saudi Arabia
SCAT Airlines	❌	Kazakhstan
Shanghai Airlines	✅	China
Silk Way West Airlines	❌	Azerbaijan
SilkAir	✅	Singapore
Singapore Airlines	✅	Singapore
SKY Airline	❌	Chile
Solomon Airlines	❌	Solomon Islands
Somon Air	❌	Tajikistan
South African Airways	❌	South Africa
South African Express Airways	❌	South Africa
Southwest	✅	United States
SpiceJet	❌	India
Spirit Airlines	❌	United States
SriLankan Airlines	✅	Sri Lanka
SunExpress	✅	Turkey
Suparna Airlines	❌	China
Surinam Airways	❌	Suriname
SWISS	✅	Switzerland
Syrianair	❌	Syrian Arab Republic
T'way Air	❌	Korea
TAAG	❌	Angola
TAP Portugal	✅	Portugal
TAROM	❌	Romania
Tassili Airlines	❌	Algeria
Thai Airways International	✅	Thailand
Thai Lion Air	❌	Thailand
Thai Smile	❌	Thailand
TUIfly	❌	Germany
Tunisair	❌	Tunisia
Turkish Airlines	❌	Turkey
Ukraine International Airlines	❌	Ukraine
United Airlines	❌	United States
UPS Airlines	✅	United States
Ural Airlines	❌	Russian Federation
UTair	❌	Russian Federation
Vietjet	❌	Vietnam
Vietnam Airlines	❌	Vietnam
Virgin Atlantic	✅	United Kingdom
Virgin Australia	✅	Australia
Vistara	❌	India
Volaris	❌	Mexico
Volotea	✅	Spain
Vueling	❌	Spain
Wamos Air	❌	Spain
WestJet	❌	Canada
White Airways (TAP Portugal)	❌	Portugal
Wideroe	❌	Norway
Wings of Lebanon	❌	Lebanon
Wizzair	❌	Hungary
Xiamen Airlines	❌	China

Specific Campaigns

South African Airways (a member of Star Alliance)

Avianca (Colombia)

OR

Hi Fly Airline (Portugal)

Omni Aviation (Portugal)

Sata Azores bans shark fins

Sata Azores bans shark fin

‘Fly Without Fins’ is a shark protection campaign set up by a coalition of international marine conservation organisations to encourage…

Read More Sata Azores bans shark fin

Source: Animal Welfare Institute

Since the campaign began…

… and only through the help of passionate members of the public such as yourself and our pilot fish, the following airlines have confirmed they do not carry shark fins as cargo:

Pilot Fishes: learn more about our campaign co-pilots!

Aegean
Africa World Airlines
Austrian Airlines

Air Dolomiti
Brussels Airlines
CAL Cargo

Cargolux
Eurowings
Eurowings

Silk Air
Volotea