Virgin Australia will allow dogs and cats to fly in its cabins by Christmas, making it the first airline in the country to allow pets to travel alongside their owners.

The airline has secured Food Standards Australia New Zealand approval to carry small animals in the cabin, overcoming the key regulatory hurdle that had delayed the change since Virgin announced the plan last year.

Those bringing pets on board will be assigned to designated rows apart from other passengers, with the animals to remain inside approved carriers at all times and be  able to be stowed under the seats.

Virgin Australia first announced the service in March last year; however the approval process took longer than anticipated.

‘There were a lot of regulatory changes that needed to be put in place including … that under aviation regulations, an aeroplane is considered to be a restaurant for the purposes of food service regulation,’ Virgin Australia CEO Dave Emerson said.

‘And so, you’re not allowed to bring pets into a restaurant, so we had to go get the rules changed and get an exemption.

‘That process is now finally completed, so we’re looking forward to launching pets onboard before the end of the year.’

Virgin’s bid to amend the Food Standards Code was approved by FSANZ last month, clearing the way for small pets in carriers to be stowed beneath their owner’s seat.

Virgin Australia will be the first  airline in the country to allow pets to travel in the cabin beside their owners (stock)

Virgin Australia has announced it will allow dogs and cats to fly in its cabins by Christmas 

‘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,’ a FSANZ statement said.

While the regulatory change clears the way for pets, the final on whether to allow any individual animal on board rests with the pilot, who has broad powers under CASA regulations to refuse them if they pose any risk to safety or operations.

Virgin Australia has been consulting with doctors and vets over how to manage the issue of dog and cat hair allergies among fellow passengers.

Virgin Australia plans to trial ‘pet-friendly’ flights on popular routes, such as Melbourne to Sydney.

Although it would be a first for Australian skies, most major airlines in North America offer a pet service, including United Airlines and Air Canada.

Qantas and Jetstar currently only allow accredited service dogs in the cabin and other approved animals are flown in the cargo hold.