Process optimization and reaction kinetics of catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of waste cooking oil (WCO) into jet fuels using zeolite-supported Ni−Co−Mo oxides catalyst in a packed-bed reactor were studied. Experiments were conducted at three different temperatures (360, 390, and 420 °C) to determine the rate constants, the order of reaction, and the activation energy. The kinetics study showed a first-order reaction with the activation energy estimated to be 84 ± 18.7 kJ/mol WCO with 95% confidence. Design of experiment (DOE) was employed to estimate the optimum reaction parameters using the polynomial model (383.7 °C; 14.8 bar; WCO-to-2-propanol ratio = 1.57 mL/ mL; weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) = 6.7 h −1 ). Validation of the model at the optimum operating conditions generated 80% yield of liquid products with 77% alkanes, 3.8% alkenes, and 12.3% aromatics composition, and 6.7% gases, and 100% conversion of WCO. The catalyst was prepared via the wet impregnation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) adsorption and desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Characterization of the catalyst revealed a cubic structure, which was maintained after one cycle of CTH reaction. Present in both the fresh and the used catalysts were Na 2 O, K 2 O, MgO, Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , CaO, FeO, Fe 2 O 3 , which highlight the composition of zeolite. The active sites were dominated by Co 3+ , Ni 2+ , and Mo 6+ that were respectively present in the form of Co 2 O 3 , NiO, and MoO 3 .