Virgin Australia introduced that it plans to be the primary Australian airline to function flights with pets permitted within the cabin.
The plan continues to be topic to regulatory approval and, if granted, is anticipated to launch inside 12 months.
In 2021, Virgin Australia carried out a social media survey by way of Facebook which noticed 85 % of respondents vote in favor of the airline launching flights permitting pets within the cabin.
The airline stated it carried out a extra recent analysis amongst Australian pet house owners, which confirmed that just about 70% stated they’d journey with their pet within the cabin, whereas 57% stated they’d fly extra repeatedly if the service was supplied.
In North America, almost all main carriers, together with United Airlines and Air Canada, enable, below particular rules, pets onboard home flights.
Virgin Australia stated its proposed pet-friendly service may have parameters and restrictions equivalent to:
- The service being restricted to small cats and dogs on particular home routes;
- Limited and designated rows to be assigned as ‘pet zones’
- Pets won’t be allowed to roam freely or sit on laps;
- Pets should even be carried in a Virgin Australia accredited pet service below the seat in entrance of the proprietor in the course of the flight.
“Our love for animals has always been in the Virgin Australia DNA and we are excited at the prospect of taking off with Australia’s first-ever pets in cabin flights,” Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka stated in a press release.
“Overwhelmingly, our guests tell us they want to travel with their pets, and we are now on a journey to make that a reality. It’s something that commonly happens overseas and is proven to work well,” Hrdlicka continued.
Hrdlicka added: “Almost 70% of Australian households have a pet, so this announcement is really significant for a large proportion of the country. It’s also a great thing for pet-friendly accommodation providers who will benefit greatly from increased connectivity and the ease for travelers to fly with their pets. It really will be a whole new economy for pet travel in Australia.”
