Maximum of six dogs per flight and only on domestic routes.Italy has updated its air travel rules allowing large and medium-sized dogs to fly in the cabin, Italian deputy premier and transport minister Matteo Salvini said on Friday.Under the new guidelines, approved by the transport ministry and Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC, the maximum weight for dogs travelling in the cabin has been raised from 25 kg to 30 kg. Dogs will be able to fly alongside their owners, in dedicated spaces, with a maximum of six animals allowed per flight, an increase from the previously announced maximum of two dogs per flight. In a post on X, Salvini hailed the move as the continuation of a "battle for civilisation" and called for more dog-friendly beaches - in addition to planes and trains - "for a more modern and animal-friendly Italy". The changes have not yet been published on the ENAC website, however this is not the first time Salvini has personally unveiled travel updates before the official announcements. Nuove linee guida Enac: anche gli animali domestici fino a 30 kg potranno volare in cabina, accanto ai propri padroni — in totale sicurezza e nel rispetto delle procedure. Massimo 6 animali per volo Solo su rotte nazionali Postazioni dedicate e comfort per tutti… pic.twitter.com/FLRZYcPI0M — Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) November 7, 2025 He did so last September when, during the Sole 24 Ore Pet Forum, he announced the first experimental scheduled flight carrying dogs free of carriers, which took off a couple of weeks later. On board were Honey and Moka, a mixed-breed and a Labrador, becoming the first large dogs in Italy to travel in the cabin of a plane. Salvini, a driving force behind the move to allow large dogs to fly in the cabin, travelled with the animals on board the the ITA Airways flight from Milan to Rome, vaunting it as a "game changer for millions of passengers". The move came a few months after the transport ministry loosened the rules, to allow large dogs to travel in the cabin alongside their owners, instead of in the hold. Until now, airline companies have had varying rules relating to the transportation of pets, with many low-cost carriers prohibiting all animals in the cabin except for guide dogs. Last year, before the new rules were introduced in May, Italy's flag carrier ITA Airways had raised its weight limit for pets in the cabin from 8 kg to 10 kg on domestic flights. The latest changes announced by Salvini represent a further loosening of the rules which will faciliate the travel of larger dogs, many of which risked missing out by just a few kilos under the previous weight limit. The heads of ENAC and ITA Airways have stressed that passengers who are not particularly accustomed to travelling near animals, due to allergies or personal reasons, will be protected by ensuring adequate space distribution on the aircraft, newspaper Corriere della Sera reports, with "pet-friendly" and "pet-free" zones. The guidelines allowing dogs to travel in the hold, however, are merely the options available to airlines which can decide independently how they wish to comply - if at all - with fares and travel conditions.

Italy has updated its air travel rules allowing large and medium-sized dogs to fly in the cabin, Italian deputy premier and transport minister Matteo Salvini said on Friday. Under the new guidelines, approved by the transport ministry and Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC, the maximum weight for dogs travelling in the cabin has been raised from 25 kg to 30 kg. Dogs will be able to fly alongside their owners, in dedicated spaces, with a maximum of six animals allowed per flight, an increase from the previously announced maximum of two dogs per flight. In a post on X, Salvini hailed the move as the continuation of a "battle for civilisation" and called for more - in addition to planes and - "for a more modern and animal-friendly Italy". The changes have not yet been published on the ENAC website, however this is not the first time Salvini has personally unveiled travel updates before the official announcements. Nuove linee guida Enac: anche gli animali domestici fino a 30 kg potranno volare in cabina, accanto ai propri padroni — in totale sicurezza e nel rispetto delle procedure.

Massimo 6 animali per volo
Solo su rotte nazionali
Postazioni dedicate e comfort per tutti… — Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) He did so last September when, during the Sole 24 Ore Pet Forum, he announced the first experimental scheduled flight carrying dogs free of carriers, which took off a couple of weeks later. On board were , a mixed-breed and a Labrador, becoming the first large dogs in Italy to travel in the cabin of a plane. Salvini, a driving force behind the move to allow large dogs to fly in the cabin, travelled with the animals on board the the ITA Airways flight from Milan to Rome, vaunting it as a "game changer for millions of passengers". The move came a few months after the transport ministry loosened the rules, to  alongside their owners, instead of in the hold. Until now, airline companies have had varying rules relating to the transportation of pets, with many low-cost carriers prohibiting all animals in the cabin except for guide dogs. Last year, before the new rules were introduced in May, Italy's flag carrier ITA Airways had  for pets in the cabin from 8 kg to 10 kg on domestic flights. The latest changes announced by Salvini represent a further loosening of the rules which will faciliate the travel of larger dogs, many of which risked missing out by just a few kilos under the previous weight limit. The heads of ENAC and ITA Airways have stressed that passengers who are not particularly accustomed to travelling near animals, due to allergies or personal reasons, will be protected by ensuring adequate space distribution on the aircraft, newspaper Corriere della Sera reports, with "pet-friendly" and "pet-free" zones. The guidelines allowing dogs to travel in the hold, however, are merely the options available to airlines which can decide independently how they wish to comply - if at all - with fares and travel conditions.