Dog owners now have one destination where their four-legged friend can fly in the airline cabin with them, even if their pet is considered a medium or large dog.
Italy has passed new regulations that allow dogs larger than 22 pounds to now fly in the passenger cabin. Under the new rules, pet owners can bring their animals along with them in the cabin as long as they are in a carrier and the total weight of the pet and carrier doesn’t exceed the standard weight limit for passengers.
Previously, dogs and other animals that were larger than 22 pounds (or 10 kilograms) had to fly in the aircraft cargo hold—a practice that many pet owners find worrisome, as animals are sometimes mishandled or even delayed or lost like luggage items. Despite how stressful it might be for travelers to place a beloved furry friend in the cargo hold, it remains a standard practice across the airline industry for medium and large dogs. However, many airlines allow pet owners to fly with smaller dogs and cats if they meet strict weight limits and they’re placed in a carrier that fits underneath the seat in front of them.
The new rule in Italy “respects the balance between the well-being of the pet, [and the] safety and comfort of the passengers,” said Pierluigi Di Palma, president of ENAC, Italy’s civil aviation authority.
Dogs must be placed in approved carriers, placed near the window seat, and secured with belts or other anchoring systems. The pet carriers cannot block emergency exits or interfere with crew operations.
Aside from those guidelines, Italy’s civil aviation authority is leaving it up to the nation’s airlines to hammer out how they’ll handle the details of flying with larger dogs. Airlines must present an operational plan to officials that outlines specific procedures before receiving approval to have large dogs in their cabins.
Examples of details that airlines can add to their policies include setting limits on how many pets can fly in the cabin at once, the total weight limit for a pet and its carrier, and creating a buffer zone around dogs for passengers who might be allergic or don’t want to sit close to an animal, according to the civil aviation authority.
Italy’s new rules are capitalizing on a growing trend of travelers bringing along their pets for vacation. Flying with larger dogs has become somewhat of a cottage industry, with semi-private airlines like JSX and K9 Jets rising to prominence by filling in the pet-friendly travel gaps left by commercial carriers.
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