Allow small pets to travel in the cabin on flights entering the UK
Allow airlines, under DEFRA guidance, to offer an in-cabin travel option for small, fully documented pets on flights entering the UK, in line with international standards for other countries.
Signatures
16,862
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 10,000/10,000 · reached
Debate threshold (100,000) · 16,862/100,000
- 21 APR 202610,000 signatures reachedEligible for a government response
- 02 FEB 2026Petition opened for signaturesCreated by Eirini Zartaloudi
Background
Many countries, including within the EU, USA, Canada, and Ireland, generally allow small, vaccinated, and microchipped pets to travel safely in the cabin, though requirements vary between different countries and airlines. The UK requires cargo travel even for very small animals, which can be stressful for the pets and costly for their owners. I believe allowing an in-cabin option would improve welfare and align the UK more closely with widely used global practices while maintaining biosecurity.