Coming on the heels of LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark Liberty (EWR) Airports beginning their respective huge construction projects to bring them into the 21st century, John F. Kennedy International Airport is finally getting a huge renovation!
According Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the $13 billion makeover will include the addition of two new terminals, plus better security, runways and ground transportation, which will increase capacity by at least 15,000,000 passengers per year.
Currently one of the busiest but least efficient airports in the country, JFK placed in the lower half of mega airports in terms of passenger satisfaction, as per the 2018 J.D. Power study that ranked of North American airports. In fact, a quarter of flights into JFK were delayed this year (through July), according to federal statistics.
The bulk of the cost – approximately $12B of it – will be paid for by private airlines, which will pay for the two new terminals. Also planned is a central hub in the middle of JFK, which will replace the confusing “spaghetti noodle” roads currently around the vastly outdated airport.
A $7 billion terminal on the south side of the airport will be financed and built by a partnership of four international carriers — Lufthansa, Air France, Korean Air Lines and Japan Airlines — calling themselves Terminal One Group. This new terminal will replace the airport’s current Terminals 1 and 2, and will take up the space left open by the demolition of Terminal 3 in 2014. All told, the new Terminal 1 will have 23 international gates (22 of which will be able to serve wider bodied jets such as the Airbus A380). Terminal 1 will also boast 24 security screening lanes, 116,000 square feet of airport lounges, 230,000 square feet of retail and dining options, and 55,000 square feet of interior green space, and a children’s play area. This terminal will be operated by Munich Airport International, and provide connections to Terminal 4, which was most recently expanded in 2013.
A $3 billion terminal on the north side will be built and paid for by JetBlue. The airline plans to demolish the existing Terminal 7 and utilize the space left vacant by the demolition of Terminal 6 in 2011. This new terminal will have 12 international gates, all of which will accommodate wide-body jets. There will be 74,000 square feet of retail, 30,000 square feet of airline lounges, and 15,000 square feet of recreation space. This terminal will also provide connections to JFK’s newest terminal, Terminal 5, which opened in 2008.
And finally, the Port Authority will put in $1 billion of its capital money for infrastructure work around JFK, such as removing the “spaghetti roads” and allowing the Port Authority to increase the capacity and frequency of the JFK AirTrain. The State Department of Transportation will also concentrate on easing several airport-related bottlenecks on the highways surrounding JFK.
Construction is set to begin in 2020, and the new gates will open in 2023 and the full project is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
I grew up in Brooklyn NY and JFK was our “home” airport when I was a little girl in the 1970s. It needed a renovation THEN! So all I can say is, it’s about time!
*** Photos via Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
