Update Monday, August 4: Virgin Australia has officially received the green light from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to welcome small dogs and cats onboard. Current laws prohibit animals in food service areas — including plane cabins — so the airline needed a special exemption. That approval quietly came through in July, clearing the runway for pet-friendly flights by the end of 2025.
Who let the dogs (and cats) out? In March 2024, Virgin Australia announced plans to become the country’s first airline to allow pets to ride onboard. Jet-setting pet parents were happy to say goodbye to the heartbreak of leaving their fur babies at home, with the airline originally slated to introduce their pet-friendly onboard flights by March 2025. After some delays in the approval process, Virgin has finally received the green light from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) – with pet-friendly flights set to take off by the end of the year.
Currently, paw-rents are required to check their furry friends into cargo, unless they're authorised service dogs. But once Virgin's pet-friendly flights launch, small cats and dogs (who are at least eight weeks old and weigh less than eight kilograms) will be welcome to travel onboard with their owners on select domestic flights. Snake, bird, hamster or rabbit owners will unfortunately still have to suffer from separation anxiety when travelling, as those pets will not be allowed onboard.
For the comfort of all passengers, cats and dogs won’t be permitted to parade down the aisles or cuddle up on your lap – they must travel in a ventilated pet carrier that fits comfortably under the seat in front of you in two designated economy rows. Yes, that means anyone who isn’t a fan of cats or dogs can book a seat far, far away.
It appears most Aussies vote in favour of pet-friendly flying, with 85 per cent giving in-cabin pet flights the thumbs up, according to a survey Virgin Australia conducted on Facebook in 2021. The research also found that 70 per cent of people said they would travel with their pet in the cabin, and 57 per cent would fly more regularly if the option was available.
Virgin Australia is continuing to work with domestic airports to make this tail-wagging news a reality, including creating more spots for dogs to have a toilet break. The popular Sydney-Melbourne route is expected to be the trial run, allowing the airline to gather feedback before offering the service on other domestic flights.
Virgin is also still figuring out what the new service might cost travelling pet parents – but we’re sure it’ll be worth it for all the heartwarming memories you’ll make when holidaying with your cat or dog.