Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2026

BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF

THE LAP OF LUXURY Rome Airport’s Dog Relais Is A Home Away From Home For Your Pooch

BY SALLY KRAL

Left: The Dog Relais at Rome– Fiumicino International Airport “Leonardo da Vinci” is Italy’s first dog hospitality facility located on airport grounds.

while providing dogs with a comfortable environment for both short and extended stays. In fact, the facility also caters to those needing short-term care, offering daytime boarding services for brief absences.” While the Dog Relais is primarily used by passengers departing FCO who need to leave their dogs in its care for the duration of their trips, Blasi notes that non-travelers – such as airport employees and even local residents – also make use of the facility’s daycare services for a few hours or a full day. Response to the Dog Relais has been “overwhelmingly positive,” according to Blasi, who points out that during its first summer open, it reached 100-perent occupancy on several occasions. “Customer feedback has highlighted high satisfaction with the quality of the facility, the services offered, and the professionalism and attentiveness of the staff,” she adds. “The Dog Relais helps passengers travel with greater peace of mind, reinforcing the value of the project and demonstrating how such services can significantly enhance the perceived quality of the airport experience.” According to Blasi, the Dog Relais is just the first step in making FCO more attentive to the needs of travelers with pets. “In this initial phase, our focus is on consolidating the service and monitoring its usage, gathering insights that may inform future developments,” she notes. “The project is part of a broader strategy already underway: Roma Fiumicino Airport currently offers four pet relief areas spread across different terminals, confirming Aeroporti di Roma’s commitment to a more inclusive and pet-friendly travel experience.”

environment that is fully integrated into the airport ecosystem,” she says. Unlike a typical dog boarding facility, the Dog Relais aims to offer a more luxurious and resort-like stay for man’s best friend. The 4,500-square-meter (48,400 sq ft) facility offers 40 private lodges, each with indoor space and a personal green yard; 10 off-leash areas covering around 1,000 square meters (10,800 sq ft); professional staff on-site 24/7; video calls with owners; and such additional amenities as grooming, aromatherapy, arnica massage, dental cleaning and veterinary services. Blasi notes that following a design and planning process that began in 2024, the Dog Relais opened as part of a broader effort to integrate pet wellness into the airport’s range of passenger services. “We observed a rising demand for solutions to manage dogs when they are unable to travel with their owners, highlighting the need for a dedicated and easily accessible facility within the airport environment,” she says. “Dog Relais is a direct response to that need: a specialized structure located in the long-term parking area, designed to simplify travel logistics

ust because you’re embarking on a pet-free trip doesn’t mean your dog can’t have a little vacation

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of their own – and at Rome–Fiumicino International Airport “Leonardo da Vinci” (FCO), they can get in some R&R right on airport grounds. The Dog Relais opened to the public in April 2025, becoming the first facility in Italy dedicated to “dog hospitality” located directly within an airport, says Marilena Blasi, chief commercial officer for Aeroporti di Roma , which operates FCO. “It’s designed to offer a comprehensive experience for both dogs and their owners, in a safe, modern

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AX NEWS MARCH 2026