Are pets allowed on Australian planes?
Despite improvements in aviation regulations enabling pets to ride inside airline cabins with their owners, Australian pets will not be racking up their own air miles anytime soon. Are pets allowed on Australian planes? The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of Australia revised its regulations in December to enable pets to travel with their owners…
Despite improvements in aviation regulations enabling pets to ride inside airline cabins with their owners, Australian pets will not be racking up their own air miles anytime soon.
Are pets allowed on Australian planes?
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of Australia revised its regulations in December to enable pets to travel with their owners in the passenger cabin provided the airline allowed it.
Virgin was the sole airline to say it was considering moving dogs from cargo to cabin when the subject was first raised in July 2021.
However, none of Australia’s three major airlines – Qantas, Virgin, and Jetstar – have shown any evidence of modifying their pet policy in the last six months.
CASA spokesperson Peter Gibson stated at the time of the discussion that it would be up to the airlines to guarantee that pets and people flew safely together.
‘If they’re going to do it, they’ll have to do it safely, and they’ll have to show us how they’ll do it safely,’ he said.
Public opinion on the matter has remained divided, with some travellers eager to bring their animal companions along, while others are concerned about allergies and aggressive behaviour.
According to Mr Gibson, CASA’s amended regulations are too broad for airlines to apply uniformly. ‘It only talks about animals, so it might possibly be a boa constrictor,’ he explained.
‘On a more serious level, there are persons who are allergic to animals and must be taken into mind.
‘Some people have severe asthma, which is a serious problem. Others are simply terrified of snakes.’
