Airplanes, new rules for those travelling with animals: easier to bring dogs and cats in the cabin

Pets in the cabin instead of in the hold: now it will be easier. According to what the MIT reports, the board of directors of Enac will establish it, next Monday 12 May, with an update of the rules that expand the possibility of transporting four-legged friends on the plane together with their owners.

Specifically, the Enac resolution establishes that "it is permitted to transport pets in the cabin, housed inside a special carrier that can also be placed above the seats, provided that it is adequately secured using seat belts or other anchoring systems. The total weight of the animal and the carrier can be higher than the limits currently foreseen, but not exceed the maximum weight foreseen for an average passenger".

What changes

To date, in Italy, pets are allowed in the cabin, with a maximum weight of 7 to 10 kilograms, depending on the airline. According to leaks, the new regulation will allow, at least on domestic flights, even a St. Bernard to travel away from the stress of the pressurized hold.

The practical details still need to be clarified, from costs to the possible maximum number of animals allowed on an aircraft and the consequent need for distancing, to the specifications on the carriers. And, far from least, to understand how the novelty can be reconciled with the growing low-cost strategies of the carriers that sign themselves as such and of others.