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Pets on flights to Italy: New rules for large animals in the cabin!
Italian airlines have announced a fundamental change in the rules for taking pets on flights. This innovation applies in particular to dogs and cats, which will be allowed to travel in passenger seats in the future. Previously, only small animals weighing a maximum of 10 kilograms, including the transport box, were permitted in the cabin. With the new regulation decided by the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, larger pets are also allowed to fly as long as the total weight does not exceed the limit for an average passenger. This crucial measure was officially carried out by the ENAC (Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile) Board of Directors on May 12, 2025, as HNA reports. …
Pets on flights to Italy: New rules for large animals in the cabin!
Italian airlines have announced a fundamental change in the rules for taking pets on flights. This innovation applies in particular to dogs and cats, which will be allowed to travel in passenger seats in the future. Previously, only small animals weighing a maximum of 10 kilograms, including the transport box, were permitted in the cabin. With the new regulation decided by the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, larger pets are also allowed to fly as long as the total weight does not exceed the limit for an average passenger. This crucial measure was officially carried out by the Board of Directors of ENAC (Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile) on May 12, 2025, as HNA reported.
Pets must be kept in a special carrier secured to their own seat. This means that the previous regulations that required accommodation under the seat no longer apply. Minister Matteo Salvini, who advocated for this rule change, is responding to the concerns of many pet owners who found transporting their pets in the cargo hold stressful. This new regulation could lead to travelers increasingly choosing to travel by air instead of using alternative means of transport, which is also a goal of the initiative.
Reactions and implementation
However, the introduction of these new provisions does not come without questions. There are uncertainties regarding, among other things, the ticket prices for the additional seats and the maximum number of animals that can be taken into the cabin per flight. Low cost airlines, like derwest, have traditionally taken a restrictive stance on allowing animals into passenger areas and may continue to oppose these changes.
It is expected that airlines will make individual decisions about the carriage of animals, which could result in different regulations. The exact details of the implementation as well as further information will be published with an official announcement from ENAC.
Overall, the new regulation shows a clear trend towards more pet-friendly travel options and could significantly contribute to improving travel comfort for pet owners.