The European standard is 8 kg including the carrier, but it is not the same everywhere: Vueling allows 10 kg and ITA Airways 12 kg on domestic flights. From 3 August 2026 ITA introduces Large Dog On Board and carries dogs up to 30 kg in the cabin outside a carrier, on selected domestic flights. And the number that counts is never the one on your dog's scale.
The weight is always combined
Airlines weigh pet plus carrier — and with ITA Airways, the food for the journey too. A soft bag weighs 800 g to 1.5 kg: a 7 kg dog easily reaches 8.2 kg and is over the limit before anyone notices.
The test to run at home, a week ahead: put the carrier on the scale, put the dog inside, weigh it all together. That is the number to compare with the table.
Limits, airline by airline
| Airline | Maximum cabin weight | Carrier | Hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volotea | 10 kg | 50 x 40 x 20 cm | no hold |
| Vueling | 10 kg | 45 x 39 x 21 cm | no hold |
| ITA Airways | 8 kg (12 kg on domestic flights, 30 kg with Large Dog) | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 75 kg |
| Lufthansa | 8 kg | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 75 kg |
| SWISS | 8 kg | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 75 kg |
| Austrian Airlines | 8 kg | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 75 kg |
| Aegean Airlines | 8 kg (smaller carrier on ATR/DH8) | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 75 kg |
| Finnair | 8 kg (20 cm height on Norra flights) | 55 x 40 x 23 cm | 75 kg |
| Turkish Airlines | 8 kg | 40 x 30 x 23 cm | 50 kg |
| Iberia | 8 kg | 45 x 35 x 25 cm | 75 kg |
| Air France | 8 kg | 46 x 28 x 24 cm | 75 kg |
| KLM | 8 kg | 46 x 28 x 24 cm | 75 kg |
| TAP Air Portugal | 8 kg | 45 x 30 x 23 cm | 45 kg |
| Air Europa | 8 kg (10 kg with the carrier) | 40 x 30 x 30 cm | no hold |
Two cases stand out. Vueling allows the highest weight in Europe, 10 kg, but has no hold option: above that there is no alternative. Air Europa is the only one with two separate limits — the animal under 8 kg and the total under 10 — leaving you up to 2 kg of bag where others count everything within 8 kg.
The exception that changes everything: 30 kg with ITA Airways
From 3 August 2026 ITA Airways introduces Large Dog On Board, the first European service to carry large dogs in the cabin outside a carrier, up to 30 kg. The dog travels on a mat on the floor, secured to the seat belt with a Crash Tested harness certified to CMVSS 213 and FMVSS 213.
The limits are tight: selected domestic flights only, a maximum of two dogs per flight (one between 10 and 15 kg, one between 15 and 30 kg), bookable only through the CIAO Contact Center at least 4 days ahead, and the cost of two tickets plus a 95 EUR PETX fee. You also need a veterinary attestation issued no more than 20 days before the flight and third-party pet liability insurance.
If your route is covered, this is currently the only way in Europe to take a dog into the cabin that would otherwise travel in the hold. Full service rules.
If your dog is over the limit
Above the cabin threshold the pet travels in the hold, in a rigid IATA-compliant container. Limits reach 75 kg including the kennel with Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS, ITA and Iberia; TAP stops at 45 kg; Vueling and Air Europa do not offer it at all.
Two constraints matter more than weight itself: brachycephalic breeds — bulldogs, pugs, boxers, but also chihuahuas, maltese and yorkshires on Iberia's list — are barred from the hold almost everywhere, and in summer many airlines suspend hold transport above certain temperatures.
The four airlines where weight is irrelevant
On these, the number on the scale does not matter: the animal is not boarding either way.
| Airline | Situation |
|---|---|
| British Airways | no pets in the cabin on any route, cargo partners only |
| Ryanair | no pets at all, only certified assistance dogs |
| easyJet | no pets at all, only registered assistance dogs |
| Wizz Air | no pets at all, cabin or hold |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the maximum dog weight in the cabin?
In most European airlines, 8 kg including the carrier. Vueling allows 10 kg and ITA Airways 12 kg on Italian domestic flights. From 3 August 2026 ITA Airways also accepts dogs up to 30 kg outside a carrier, with the Large Dog On Board service on selected domestic flights. - Does the weight include the carrier?
Yes. Every airline verified counts the combined weight of pet and carrier, and ITA Airways includes food for the journey. The only one with two separate limits is Air Europa. The exception is ITA's Large Dog service, where the dog travels without a carrier and only its own weight counts. - Which airline allows the heaviest dog in the cabin?
ITA Airways: 12 kg in a carrier on domestic flights, and up to 30 kg outside a carrier with Large Dog On Board, from 3 August 2026 on selected domestic flights. On international routes the highest limit is still Vueling's 10 kg. - Is it true you can take a 30 kg dog in the cabin?
Yes, but only with ITA Airways, from 3 August 2026, on a selection of domestic flights marked as Large Dog flights. It requires two tickets, a 95 EUR fee, a Crash Tested harness and a request to the CIAO Contact Center at least 4 days ahead. - What happens if my dog is over the limit?
It travels in the hold in a rigid IATA-compliant container, up to 75 kg with most airlines and 45 kg with TAP. Vueling and Air Europa offer no hold transport. - Can snub-nosed dogs travel in the hold?
Almost never. Brachycephalic breeds are excluded from the hold by every airline verified, because of breathing risks: they remain allowed in the cabin within the weight limit.
Rules change without notice and some apply only to certain routes or aircraft. Always open the official page of the airline you chose before paying.