A new terminal at JFK will feature a swimming pool, spa and around-the-clock medical assistance.
But the posh treatment is not meant for first-class travelers. The terminal, dubbed The Ark, will instead serve pets.
The $48 million project, currently under construction, has been described as the world’s first luxury animal terminal.
The 178,000-square-foot private facility, designed to handle about 70,000 animals in transit a year, will replace JFK’s Cargo Building 78, which has been vacant since 2004, according to terminal developer Racebrook Capital.
“With demand for pets and animals of all kinds transported by air escalating year on year, we recognized the need for a more humane and efficient model for this significant segment of the air travel industry,” said Aaron Perl, managing director of The Ark, in a statement.
Currently, the animals arriving at JFK go through Vetport, an outdated facility that was built in the 1950s.
The new terminal, where animals will be examined and cared for during stopovers, will also boast a veterinary hospital and climate-controlled stalls and units for racehorses, cattle, birds and other pets.
Cats and dogs will be placed in a 20,000-square-foot resort run by Paradise 4 Paws, which will feature a bone-shaped pool, spa and training center.
The new facility is slated to be completed in the first quarter of 2016, according Racebrook Capital.
