New Yorks favorite pet airline: how British-based K9 JETS is changing the way we travel with our pets
From an idea developed during COVID, to an international pet travel network connecting New York with destinations across the United States, the UK and Europe, K9 JETS has experienced a remarkable rise.The British-based company launched its first pet-dedicated, pay-per-seat private jet flight in 2023.
Today, K9 JETS has flown more than 10,000 passengers and their dogs and cats, allowing families to cross continents with their pets beside them in the aircraft cabin.And New York has been at the heart of the story.Operating from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, just outside Manhattan, K9 JETS now connects New York, Los Angeles, Florida, Toronto and Vancouver with destinations throughout Europe, creating an entirely different way for Americans to travel internationally with their four-legged family members.For founder Adam Golder, the company’s growth still feels extraordinary.
“K9 JETS really did start from a call with a prospective client from NYC called Paul Marran, wanting to share a charter jet for a group of pet owners: there had to be a better way for people to travel internationally with their pets who have met online,” says Golder.From Britain to New YorkK9 JETS was founded in Britain by Adam and Kirsty Golder after identifying growing demand from pet owners who wanted an alternative to transporting their animals in an aircraft’s cargo hold.The concept was straightforward but, at the time, unusual: charter a private aircraft and sell individual seats rather than requiring customers to charter the entire jet.One passenger.
One seat.Their pets beside them.The first K9 JETS flight departed Teterboro for the UK in April 2023, carrying passengers and their pets across the Atlantic.
Demand quickly demonstrated that the idea extended far beyond a small niche of private aviation customers.Three years later, and thanks to a small, dedicated, talented team, K9 JETS has transported more than 10,000 passengers and pets across its international network.Private Je...