ExecuJet Europe today launched a complimentary pet handling service at London Cambridge Airport, enabling domestic cats and dogs to travel internationally, without quarantine and overseas vet inspection. ExecuJet and London Cambridge Airport are now approved 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 value-added service and have already received confirmation of one large-cabin jet which will be based at Cambridge to enable the owner to transport his pets with ease."

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.

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.

Ready for the Olympics

In related news, ExecuJet Europe reports it is fully prepared for handling business aviation aircraft during the 2012 Games, with a fully trained staff of 10, now situated at its Cambridge FBO. The company has taken a good number of bookings to date and anticipates a lift in demand from end-June in preparation for the event.

ExecuJet Aviation Group

The ExecuJet Aviation Group is a leading global business aviation organisation offering a diverse range of services including pre-owned and new aircraft sales, aircraft management for private and commercial registered aircraft, aircraft charter, aircraft maintenance, aircraft completions management and fixed base operations. Headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, ExecuJet has operations in six regions - Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, embracing a workforce of over 830 experienced staff.

The ExecuJet Aviation Group manages 150 business jets worldwide under the most stringent safety standards. Its commercial fleet is operated under the regulatory umbrella of seven regional civil aviation issued air operating certificates (AOCs). ExecuJet has many authorised maintenance facilities throughout four regions, certified to work on most Business Jets. The ExecuJet Aviation Group operates 18 world class FBO facilities worldwide.

The ExecuJet Aviation Group offers considerable experience in new and pre-owned aircraft sales worldwide and has a large inventory of business aircraft to suit all budgets with an international team of sales directors offering local knowledge and expertise.

Contributed by ExecuJet