Some advice to prepare your trip:

• Get your pet used to a carrier or cage at least five days before your trip if your pet will be traveling in the cargo hold
• Give your pet frequent but small quantities of water before take-off
• Feed your pet up to four hours before take-off and make sure it has enough food for the entire trip

Other criteria for the pet's comfort and safety

• The bottom of the carrier must be covered with a blanket, newspaper or other absorbent material. Straw is forbidden
• The pet must not have a leash or a muzzle. In addition, these accessories must not be left inside the carrier
• The pet must not show signs of physical tiredness and must not be injured. Check with your vet to verify that the animal is in a condition to be able to face the trip and remember to put at least a bowl inside the carrier so that your pet is comfortable during the journey. The bowl must be empty, fastened and accessible without opening the carrier.

If these conditions are not met or if the pet disturbs passengers, the captain can transfer it to the cargo hold.

If you want advice and suggestions on the best way to plan your trip with your pet, please visit the website of Ministry of Health.

Not every aircraft has animal transport facilities and the maximum size of the pet carriers they can take on board varies. Please find out if your pet can travel with you by calling our Special Assistance service.

Cabin transport is subject to certain conditions:   

• the transport of animals is only possible if they are kept inside an appropriate soft-sided, semi-rigid or rigid carrier;

• for the transport of animals in the cabin it is recommended to use a soft-sided carrier, which is easier to fit under the seat;
• for safety reasons, the animal should be kept inside the carrier when boarding and disembarking from the aircraft and for the entire duration of the flight;     

• the animal, which should have a maximum weight of 8kg, must remain in the carrier for the entire journey. The carrier should be no larger than:
  • 24 cm in height
  • 40 cm in length
  • 20 cm in width
• if you are using a soft-sided or semi-rigid carrier, this can be slightly higher (+2-4 cm) at the top in respect to the height indicated above. Rigid carriers, on the other hand, must respect the maximum dimensions indicated, otherwise the animal may not be allowed to board the aircraft;
• the carrier must enable the animal to stay i.n a comfortable position, to turn around and lie down; the carrier should be well ventilated, waterproof, resistant and preferably semi-rigid or soft-sided in order to meet the conditions described above. 
• carriers can transport up to five animals of the same species, on the condition that the total weight of the animals does not exceed 8 kg, and a weight of 10 kg including any food and the carrier itself.

These conditions must be met for the pet to travel in the hold:

• The pet must travel in a rigid carrier
• The body of the carrier must be made from fiberglass or hard plastic only
• If the carrier has wheels, these must be removed. If they are retractable, they must be locked with adhesive tape
• CAGES for transporting DOGS must:
  • have a metal door with a locking system that locks the closure points at the top, middle and bottom of the door
  • The side air inlets of CAGES for transporting DOGS must be made of metal, not plastic
• The dimensions of the CAGE may vary based on the type of aircraft being used for the journey. For further information, please contact our Call Center

 

NEW

Recommendations for the transportation of brachycephalic races in the hold

Brachycephalic races or snub nose, are particularly susceptible to stress and temperature. To ensure the wellness and safety of your pet, we suggest you to evaluate carefully the overall health of your pet and consequently to assess the risks associated with this type of transport.

Based on IATA Regulations, it includes the following races:

DOGS

• Affenpinscher
• American Pit Bull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Bichon Frise
• Boston Terrier
• Boxer
• Brussels Griffon
• Bulldog
• Bullmastiff
• Cane Corso
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Chihuahua (apple-headed)
• Chow Chow
• Dogo Argentino
• Dogue de Bordeaux
• English Mastiff
• French Bulldog
• Japanese Chin
• King Charles Spaniel
• Lhasa Apso
• Maltese
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Newfoundland
• Pekingese
• Presa Canario
• Pug
• Shar-Pei
• Shih Tzu
• Silky Terrier
• Tibetan Spaniel
• Valley Bulldog
• Yorkshire Terrier

CATS

• Burmese
• Exotic Shorthair
• Persiano
• Himalayano 

For more information please contact our Call Center.

On ITA Airways, task- trained assistance dogs may travel in the cabin free of charge.

For connecting flights check the regulations of the airline operating the individual flight.

If you are traveling with multiple airlines, we therefore recommend that you request confirmation from each airline that your dog will be accepted on board.

General Terms of Service
Regardless of breed or type, task-trained assistance dogs have been trained to assist people with motor disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, intellectual/relational disabilities or other disabilities of a psychiatric nature.

For the dog, it is required to present a training certificate in which the dog center/institution of reference certifies on headed paper (or with a legible stamp) that it is a service dog that must wear the relative harness.

The service must be requested no later than 48 hours before your flight’s departure to our Dedicated Team and will be confirmed once all the documentation submitted is validated by our staff.

Please note: Dogs that offer emotional support are not considered task-trained assistance dogs and therefore their transportation is not provided free of charge on board our flights. Their carriage may be possible at a charge according to the procedures for boarding dogs in the cabin or in the hold depending on the weight and size of the dog.

We also advise you to enquire in advance about entry conditions in other countries

General requirements for transport:
To guarantee flight safety and comfort in the cabin, the dog must be trained to obey and behave appropriately in a public environment (e.g. does not bark, growl, attack people or other animals).

For small dogs, it is not mandatory that they travel in the appropriate pet carrier for the entire duration of the flight. If they travel without one, a leash and muzzle must be used (the latter if requested by the captain).

The guide dog must remain in front of the owner's seat.

On board the dog must:

• Remain under the direct control of the passenger at all times.
  
• Must not sit on a passenger seat and cannot be in an emergency exit row.

In addition, the following provisions must be complied with while the animal is on board.

The passenger must have a muzzle available to be used only if requested by the pilot in command (if the dog, during the flight, shows aggression). The transport of the animal is free of charge even if it must be loaded in the hold. The passenger is responsible for damages and additional costs resulting from the transport of the dog

On board the dog must:

• Remain under the direct control of the passenger at all times.
• Must not sit on a passenger seat and cannot be in an emergency exit row.

In addition, the following provisions must be complied with while the animal is on board.