(CNN) – In the late 1970s, the US government deregulated the airline industry, removing federal control over fares, routes, and entry of new airlines.

As a result, many new airlines have emerged since the 1980s, some of which have been particularly unusual. Let’s take a look.

Pat Airways

Founded in 2009 in Delray Beach, Florida, Pet Airways was exclusively dedicated to pets like cats and dogs, or puppies as they called them.

They flew without owners in the main cabin of a specially adapted aircraft, in which the seats were replaced with trunks.

Each plane could carry about 50 pets, and “escorts” checked them every 15 minutes. Before takeoff, the animals had a pre-flight walk and had a toilet break in specially equipped airport lounges.

The airline operated for about two years, serving a dozen US cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and Atlanta. Fares started at $150 and could go up to $1,200 depending on the size of the animal.

However, its website is still active, with the message saying “Flights will start, post-Covid, hopefully mid-2022,” suggesting the beloved airline could have a second life on the horizon.

Hooters Air

In 2002, Robert Brooks, chairman of restaurant chain Hooters, acquired Pace Airlines, a charter airline with a fleet of eight aircraft, mostly Boeing 737s. The following year, he turned it into Hooters Air, an airline modeled after the restaurant chain.

Its difference was, in addition to the bright orange livery with bulging eyes of an owl, that there were two so-called “hoot girls” on board, who communicated with passengers and arranged quizzes with gadget prizes – in the same T-shirt – and orange shorts “uniform” popularized by restaurants.

However, they did not serve food or perform duties on board as they were handled by three FAA-certified flight attendants.

The airline was based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a popular holiday destination known for its golf courses and beach resorts, which lost direct air service as a result of the general restructuring of commercial aviation after 9/11.

With budget prices and direct connections to cities like Atlanta, Newark, and Baltimore, Hooters Air attracted a wide variety of passengers—mainly golfers and tourists, but also families.

However, it was never successful enough to make money and went out of business in early 2006 due to rising fuel prices in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Airline Lord

The plan was to have three weekly flights from Miami to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, offering a direct route to Jerusalem, about 30 miles away.

However, by 1987, the airline was unable to obtain an FAA license due to incomplete modifications and maintenance work on the aircraft. Investors got nervous and fired Marshall, appointing a new board of directors to move forward.

The new chairman, Theodore Lischash, disagreed with Marshall and they began to squabble in the press.

Express and SmintAir smokers

The FAA banned smoking on all US domestic flights in 1990, but William Walts and George Richardson, two entrepreneurs from Brevard County in Florida, were unhappy about it. In early 1993, they decided to get around this rule by creating an airline based on a private club. It required a $25 membership fee and was only open to people over the age of 21.

The airline was to be based at the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida, and planned to offer steaks and hamburgers on board, as well as free cigarettes.

Schoppmann, who smoked 30 cigarettes a day, wanted to run a daily service between Tokyo and Düsseldorf, his hometown, home to a large number of Japanese expatriates, and the European offices of hundreds of Japanese companies.

At the time, there were still significant numbers of smokers in both countries. However, SmintAir suffered the same fate as Smokers Express: it failed to raise the capital needed to get started and never took off.

MGM Grand Air

Opened in 1987, MGM Grand Air was a first-class, ultra-luxury only airline that initially operated single-route flights from Los Angeles to JFK using Boeing 727s and Douglas DC-8s in luxury configurations: the rule was that no flight could carry more than 33 passengers, although aircraft could carry 100 or more as standard.

The airline promised no queues, no check-in, no waiting for luggage—porters carried the bags onto the plane and returned them at their destination—and even offered the optional door-to-door limousine service. Dedicated lounges at both airports offer luxurious amenities and concierge services.

On board were five flight attendants and a stand-up bar, as well as separate meeting bays. A full meal was always available with fine wine and champagne, and the toilets had golden faucets and monogrammed soaps. All this was offered for a little more than the cost of a first class ticket on other airlines.

Initially popular with celebrities and the very wealthy, MGM Grand Air eventually opened up more routes but struggled to fill all 33 seats on its planes.

Operations slowed in the 1990s as private jets became more common, and in 1995 the airline was sold and changed its name to Champion Air, offering charter flights to sports teams and government agencies. It eventually closed completely in 2008.

Top image: A Hooters aircraft arrives at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey on April 3, 2003. Photo: Matthew Peyton/Getty Images