The answer is no – the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) advises against sedating your pet for air travel as it can increase the risk of heart disease and respiratory problems. Instead you should ‘know your dog’ and do what is in the best interests of your animal.
The first step to safe air travel with your dog is to know their stress and coping levels – if they tend toward an anxious response to new or strange situations then flying is probably not the best option for them.