ExecuJet Launches UK's First Free Pet Travel Service at Cambridge Airport

The launch of the service follows the approval of ExecuJet and London Cambridge Airport by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for the UK's Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). New regulations introduced this year bring PETS fully into line with EU regulations; cats and dogs coming from the EU and certain non-EU countries will no longer require a post-vaccination blood test and the pre-entry waiting period will be reduced from six months to 21 days.

John Brutnell, General Manager of ExecuJet UK, says: "We believe ExecuJet and London Cambridge Airport are the first in the UK to offer PETS as a free service to passengers. We are sure many of our clients will take advantage of this new hassle-free service and have already received confirmation of one large-cabin jet that will be based at Cambridge to enable the owner to transport his pets with ease."

Free Pet Travel Service

Under PETS, the team at London Cambridge Airport will check the pet's passport, travel credentials and microchip with the owner or the pet's escort in the cabin. Once the paperwork has been cleared and stamped as required, the pet will be free to disembark. All applications to bring a pet into the UK under PETS regulations must be emailed to the ExecuJet Cambridge pet handling team at least 24 hours before flight departure.

ExecuJet Europe is fully prepared for handling business aviation aircraft during the 2012 London Olympics with a fully trained staff of 10, now situated at its Cambridge FBO. The company has taken a high volume of bookings to date and anticipates a lift in demand from mid-June in preparation for the event.

The new rules bring the UK's PETS into line with the most recent Europe-wide pet importation regulations. Domestic pets previously had to spend six months in quarantine upon arrival in the UK to prevent rabies and other diseases entering the country - this practice was changed for certain EU nations under PETS, along with the introduction of the pet passport programme. The latest regulations apply to all EU and approved non-EU countries.