Australian airline wins approval to carry pets on flights — behind all the cuddly details

In an Australian first your flight is set to soon become a little bit furrier with the regulatory green light flashing to bring one small pet dog or cat on Virgin Australia domestic flights.

A previous regulatory loophole that classed airplanes as restaurants, prohibited food and drink from being served when pet cats and dogs were present in the cabin.

However last month Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) approved Virgin’s amendment to allow for pets.

“We assessed the microbiological food safety risks and found that, with appropriate risk management controls in place, the presence of pet cats and dogs in aircraft cabins presents a low risk to passengers,” a FSANZ statement read.

“The amendment to the Code gives airlines operating in Australia and serving food in-flight the discretion to allow pet cats and dogs in aircraft cabins, provided all relevant food safety requirements are met.”

The service is expected to launch by the end of this year.

Two rows will be designated on select flights for flyers traveling with pets.

Pets will be required to fit within a pet carrier which with the pet in it must weigh less than 17.6 pounds and fit under the plane seat in front.

A Virgin spokesperson said they were “excited to have reached an important milestone” in the journey to offering pets in-cabin service.

“With this approval now in place, we are a step closer to welcoming pets on board select Virgin Australia flights, and we look forward to sharing more details with travelers about our trial flights in the coming months.”

In Australia, major carriers have never allowed leisure travel with pets before.

Travelers will need to book the pets trip in advance through Virgin’s Guest Contact Centre and animals will need to stay inside their carrier for the duration of the flight.

Despite the amendment the ultimate authority to permit animals on a specific flight remains with the pilot in command.

According to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), pilots are accountable for the safety of all on-board and hold wide-ranging authority over passengers and cargo.

The ambiguity in the rules effectively grants captains the discretion to decline pets on a case-by-case basis including the ability to refuse the transport of animals – even certified assistance animals – in exceptional circumstances where safety or flight operations may be compromised.