Petitions/Allow small pets to travel in the cabin on flights entering the UK
StatusOngoing
Opened2 Feb 2026
Closes
Government responseResponded
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones 10,000

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.

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.

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Government response

All pets entering GB must be checked for compliance with our biosecurity requirements. Complex operational arrangements at airports mean that most pets must travel in the hold to facilitate this.

Constituency engagement ranking

Joe Powell
1Joe Powell MP
Kensington and Bayswater
474
Ben Coleman
2Ben Coleman MP
Chelsea and Fulham
414
Rachel Blake
3Rachel Blake MP
Cities of London and Westminster
363
Marsha De Cordova
4Marsha De Cordova MP
Battersea
341
Apsana Begum
5Apsana Begum MP
Poplar and Limehouse
294
Neil Coyle
6Neil Coyle MP
Bermondsey and Old Southwark
253
Tulip Siddiq
7Tulip Siddiq MP
Hampstead and Highgate
241
Andy Slaughter
8Andy Slaughter MP
Hammersmith and Chiswick
227
Matthew Pennycook
9Matthew Pennycook MP
Greenwich and Woolwich
223
Georgia Gould
10Georgia Gould MP
Queen's Park and Maida Vale
222