BARK Air, airline for dogs, took its first flight from New York

Dogs can now em-bark on a new adventure.

BARK Air, the first airline catered to dogs, has officially taken off.

The airline’s first-ever flight departed from New York at 4 p.m. EST Thursday and touched down in Los Angeles.

According to BARK Air’s booking site, the inaugural flight was completely sold out.

One ticket cost $6,000, and each ticket includes one dog and one human companion. If two humans want to travel, two tickets will need to be purchased.

Bark, the pet company founded in 2011, announced the launch of the dog-centered plane experience in April as a way “to revolutionize flying for dogs.”

The company shared details of the first flight in an Instagram post, writing, “Right now, at an altitude of 30,000 feet, there is a flight filled with dogs. Unlike any flight before it, these dogs are not merely an afterthought, nor are they treated as cargo or a burden to the crew and fellow travelers. Here, dogs are the foremost priority.”

“Every single detail of this flight experience has been crafted with a ‘dogs-first’ mindset. It has taken 10 years, but we are finally confident that we can provide all dogs with the air travel experience they deserve: one that puts them first.”

One person commented how exciting it was to see the first flight happen, adding that “as a veterinarian,” she “would never” put her dog in cargo.

“This really is the pawfect flight!” another wrote. “Thank you for creating a happy place in the sky where dogs of all breeds and sizes can fly peacefully with their adult humans.”

As of now, BARK Air offers one-way and round-trip flights between New York via Westchester County Airport (HPN) and Los Angeles via Van Nuys (VNY), as well as New York and London via Biggin Hill (BQH).

The May 30 flight from New York to Los Angeles has just three seats left, and both May flights from Los Angeles to New York (May 24 and 31) are sold out.

Flying internationally costs $8,000 per ticket on BARK Air — and both flights to and from London this month are already sold out.

The airline operates Gulfstream G5s, and the website says they never book to their full capacity “to ensure you and your dog have enough room to spread out comfortably.”

Each flight fits 15 dogs plus their humans, but it never sells more than 10 tickets per flight. Children are not allowed to fly BARK Air and all human passengers must be at least 18 years old.

“When we started BARK in 2011, we were on a mission to disrupt the dog space and create products designed for dogs and their humans,” Matt Meeker, co-founder and CEO at BARK, said in an April press release.

“We are excited to take the insights we’ve learned over the years to create an experience that is truly dog-first, which is drastically different from just accepting dogs – from the ground to the skies.”