Boo, the most popular online dog, becomes newest airline executive

The news was welcomed by Boo's fans who commented on the airline's announcement on their dedicated Facebook Page. Photos of him and his pal Buddy taken at San Francisco airport were shared by Virgin America. The pair had been seen visiting some of the airport's sites and even inspecting the cockpit of one of the planes. Boo expressed his excitement with the new position on his Facebook page. "Virgin America asked me to be their pet liason! Such an honor to bestow upon just a little pup with big hair. I think this is the closest that Buddy and I will ever get to having wings :)".

Boo, also known as "the cutest dog in the world" became famous in 2010, at the age of four, when a series of videos published on You Tube were viewed by an average of 6000 internet users. Boo's fame has been growing with the release of his book, Life of the World's Cutest Dog, published in August 2011. Boo has been offered other jobs such as model for the online boutique Tobi and posing for pictures to raise money for the charity Operation Smile.

Virgin Airlines is seeking to become one of the most pet-friendly airlines, as Abby Lunardini, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Virgin America, told the Huffington Post earlier this week: "As a pet-friendly airline we want our guests -- those on two legs and those on four -- to have as comfortable and enjoyable experience as possible on Virgin America."

Boo will be announcing pet-related information for the airline in the future. Virgin Airlines already accepts dogs and cats in the main cabin. Animals must be in a kennel and only one pet is allowed for each purchased seat. A fee of $100 is charged for the transportation of the pet.

Airlines have been using celebrities for a while now. Most recently Miranda Kerr and John Travolta were recruited to act as Qantas ambassadors. But this seems to be the first time an airline has recruited a dog celebrity as part of its public relations strategy.