Travel
Luxury dog airline BARK Air sued by Westchester County for seat limit violations
A brand new airline designed specifically for dogs is currently under fire. BARK Air, which operates flights from Westchester County Airport in New York, was sued by Westchester County for apparently violates county law. The legal motion got here just days after the airline’s first flight.
The latest luxury airline’s inaugural flight from New York to Los Angeles took place on May 24, and the lawsuit was filed on May 30. According to legal documents, Westchester County Airport has a policy that states “the private jet section of the airport may only accommodate jets with nine or fewer passenger seats.” BARK Air uses a Gulfstream Aerospace GV jet with 14 passenger seats.
As a part of the injunction issued against BARK Air, Westchester County’s actions could force the airline to depart the airport entirely or move from the private jet zone to a busier passenger terminal.
The price for BARK Air’s “White Paw Experience” flight from Westchester County Airport to Los Angeles’ Van Nuys Airport on May 24 was $6,000 for one passenger and a dog.
“There was a mix of breeds on board, including a chihuahua, a golden retriever and a dachshund,” said BARK Chief of Staff Katherine Enos. She also described the airline’s first official flight as a “great success.”
“I am happy to report that there was no dog drama; some of the dogs were playing in the aisle while the smaller ones were taking long naps,” she continued.
“All dogs ate BARK cereal dog treats, dog-friendly muffins, chicken-flavored puppuccino and dog champagne (chicken broth),” Enos confirmed. “All the people on board also got along well and felt a bond over their shared obsession with dogs.”
Currently, BARK, which describes itself as “the world’s first air travel experience designed specifically for dogs and, secondarily, their human companions,” currently flies between Los Angeles, New York and London. They are considering adding more cities to their list, reportedly including Paris, Milan, Chicago, Seattle, Florida and Arizona as latest travel destinations.