JFK Airport to open world’s first animal terminal

Travelling with animals can be a real challenge – for now! New York’s JFK airport has decided that entertainment spaces and luxury services should not only be reserved to human passengers and is building the world’s first animal terminal: the Ark. The $48 million facility was designed by Gensler architecture firm and is set to open in 2016.

The future of animal travel

The new terminal of 178,000 square feet will be able to handle more than 70,000 animals flying in and out of the airport every year. It will include a quarantine station, a veterinary hospital, private climate-controlled stalls for large animals as well as a departure lounge with food and water.

What about your dogs and cats? The 20,000 square-foot dog area called the “Paradise 4 Paws” contains a pool, massage therapy and spa services. Your cat will obviously not stay in the same area as dogs and will have acess to climbing trees. For $100 per night, you can also book a suite for your pet, providing a human-sized bed, a TV, a bedside photo frame available and even a webcam for owners to watch theirs pets.

Air travel is very stressful for animals and the Ark has been desinged “in collaboration with veterinarians and consultants to help minimize the amount of stress placed on the animal.” explained Cliff Bollmann, one of the architect. Looking at the different features of the facility, animals will soon prefer to travel than staying at home!

Source: Telegraph, Daily Mail, Huffington Post. Credit: Courtesy of Pradise 4 Paws, Ark Development LLC