Overview
- ENAC updated its guidance to drop the mandatory crate for larger pets in cabin, requiring a harness, muzzle and window-seat placement with absorbent pads, and barring emergency-exit rows.
- The authority suggests leaving the middle seat empty with the owner on the aisle, effectively dedicating a row to each animal where seating allows.
- ITA Airways will run a demonstrative Linate–Fiumicino flight on 23 September carrying two medium‑large dogs in the cabin, with reservations under the new setup not yet available.
- Airlines must set their own caps per flight, seating plans and tariffs, notify crews and nearby passengers, and create buffer zones for those with allergies or who prefer distance from animals.
- Consumer groups criticize the absence of a clear maximum weight—ENAC cites a reference to an average passenger’s weight—and warn about potential issues such as allergies, odors, barking and pricing, while officials including Matteo Salvini and Michele Biancofiore defend the policy and note rail-sector precedents like Trenitalia’s summer free‑pet offer.