All paws aboard: The Aussie airline set to allow pets on planes

In paw-sitively great news for pet lovers nationwide, Virgin Australia has just unleashed a delightful announcement: passengers can soon bring their beloved pets into the cabin, all within certain paw-rameters.

Under Virgin’s plan, small cats and dogs will soon be jet-setting alongside their adoring owners on specific domestic routes. However, the four-legged travelers will be confined to designated rows, forbidden from wandering freely or sitting on the laps of passengers.

To keep the journey smooth, pets must also be secured in a Virgin Australia-approved pet carrier beneath the seat for the entire flight.

Virgin Australia Group CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, expressed Virgin Australia’s excitement to finally reveal their plans with pet lovers across the country.

“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,” Hrdlicka said.

“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.”

Melbourne Airport chief executive Lorie Argus believes the plan will be a hit with passengers.

“We’ve been investing significant effort into providing relief areas for assistance animals and these facilities have ample capacity to serve Virgin Australia’s new guests,” she said.

“Animals being carried on board Virgin Australia flights will be required to remain in their approved pet carriers at all other times within the terminal.

“We expect the pets in cabin concept will prove a popular offering and we look forward to working with Virgin Australia to make it a reality.”

Early reactions from passengers are as enthusiastic as a dog chasing its tail, with social media abuzz with grateful pet owners expressing their excitement about the upcoming paw-some travel experience.

This is such great news!

Thanks for making travel with pets easier – can’t wait to fly Virgin with our puppy in the near future!

— Brody McKee (@mrmckeb) March 6, 2024

Sassy is very happy about this! pic.twitter.com/ISB1q03thM

— Campbell Newman (@CampbellNewman) March 7, 2024

We’d do our best to get on the first flight Perth to Melbourne with our two toy poodles!!
We could travel so much more if we could take our boys with us ❤️

— Bec (@becthestar) March 7, 2024

Finally! We’re so far behind the rest of the world in terms of animal travel.

— b-rex 🦖 (@bRexSport) March 6, 2024

If all goes as planned and regulatory approval is secured, this pet-friendly service is expected to take off within the next 12 months, marking a paw-some milestone in the world of air travel.

Get ready for a sky filled with wagging tails and happy paws.

-with AAP.