Whether or not passengers are allowed to take small dogs and cats in the cabin is regulated very inconsistently in Europe. It is up to the airline itself to allow this - usually for a fee - or not. In Australia there is currently not a single airline that allows four-legged friends to fly in the cabin.

This is exactly what Virgin Australia wants to change and has submitted a corresponding application to the Civil Aviation Authority. Down under, it's not that the airlines don't want to, it's that they aren't allowed to. Legal regulations stipulate that transporting animals in the cabin is generally not permitted. This excludes assistance dogs such as guide dogs.

The topic is not new, as Virgin Australia has been evaluating whether there is a market at all since 2021. After all, the aviation company also wants to make money through extra fees. A plan has now been drawn up and submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority for official approval. Virgin said that if approved, it expects to be able to allow small dogs and cats to travel in cabins within a year.

But we don't yet know how the office will decide. It is also conceivable that you could only receive approval for domestic flights. Australia has always been and is very complicated when it comes to animals on international routes due to quarantine reasons. Many years ago, part of an Olympics even had to be held abroad because “importing” the horses for the relevant competitions would have been disproportionately complicated.

If Virgin Australia receives the desired approval from the Civil Aviation Authority, it says it would be the first Australian airline to allow small dogs and cats to be carried on board. Other animals would have to stay away in the future, because the carrier doesn't want birds, hamsters, etc. on board.