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Pets will be allowed on some Virgin Australia flights by the end of the year after the airline was given the green light by health authorities.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved a regulatory amendment to allow pets in cabins while food and drink are being served. As Virgin chief executive Dave Emerson noted at the CAPA conference in Cairns, health regulators classify planes as restaurants under existing rules.
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“You’re not allowed to bring your pets into a restaurant, so we had to change the rules and get an exemption, and that process took just over a year,” he said, as reported by The Australian.
“But just recently [that] cleared, so we’re past that hurdle now and are looking forward to launching before the end of the year.”
The ultimate decision as to whether pets will be allowed on board a flight will be left to the pilot, and pets will only be permitted on domestic flights. Trials are expected to begin later this year on some shorter trunk routes, including Sydney–Melbourne.
In a statement, FSANZ confirmed it had made the change to the Food Standards code last month, which was approved for Australian domestic flights only by a meeting of food ministers; the plan had been approved by CASA earlier this year.
“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,” the 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.”
Under the current plans, passengers will be able to travel with one small dog or cat, provided the animal is at least eight weeks of age and fits within a Virgin Australia-approved soft-sided pet carrier; the pet and carrier together cannot weigh more than 8kg.
Pets will be allowed in two designated rows on select flights, placed under the seat in front while still allowing enough room and ventilation, with pets not allowed to leave the carrier on the plane or in the airport except when going through security or using designated animal relief areas.
Passengers travelling with pets will need to book their pet for travel directly through the Guest Contact Centre, and Virgin plans to release a pet travel Guide with tips and suggestions for customers.
