Condor is moving to Terminal 7 at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) after a long-time residence in Terminal 1. The move allows the German leisure carrier to be in the same space as partner Alaska Airlines, with whom it offers codeshares and mileage earnings. Let's find out more about the move.
Shifting over
It's silly season at JFK, with Condor becoming the latest to announce its move to Terminal 7. The German charter operator currently flies 4x weekly to the New York airport and will go daily from May onward. Now, passengers will no longer be arriving at Terminal 1, but rather at the home of the carrier's partner, Alaska Airlines.
The airline completed the move to Terminal 7 on January 5th, with the A330-300 arriving at its new gates at 15:10 local time. The first passengers checked later that evening at Zone E, with the airline highlighting access to a more spacious check-in area with separate queues for business, premium economy, and economy travelers.
Condor noted that once its new A330neos begins flying to JFK later in 2023, the added capacity will be easily handled by the larger gates at Terminal 7. Overall, the move seems to be a good one for passengers and the airline.
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Right next door
The biggest advantage for passengers with Condor's move to Terminal 7 will be the presence of codeshare partner Alaska Airlines. Passengers will no longer need to exit the terminal and take the AirTrain, rather only walk back up to departures and prepare for their next flight. This will make the lives of thousands transiting onward much easier in the near future.
Looking further, JetBlue will be moving into a brand-new Terminal 6 in 2026 with ten new gates. While not connected to Terminal 7 (but to T5), Condor highlights the transit to T6 will be easier from its new location in JFK. Those flying in business class with Condor will have access to the newly renovated Lounge @T7 as well.
In a statement about the decision to move, Christian Schmitt, Chief Operations Officer and Accountable Manager at Condor said,
"We look forward to welcoming our New York originating and connecting guests at our new JFK facility at Terminal 7. New York is one of our primary U.S. gateways with year-round, non-stop service to our Frankfurt hub. We are thrilled to make our new home at JFK more welcoming and user-friendly for our guests and the ability to make it even easier to connect with our partner airlines.”
New management at T7
If you've noticed Terminal 7 in the news lately, it's for good reason. In December, JFK Millennium Partners took over the management of the terminal, bringing new carriers in its wake as part of the $4.2 billion airport redevelopment. In addition to Condor, Kuwait Airways and SAS' JFK operations will fly out of T7. However, iconic operation British Airways recently left T7 to move to partner American Airlines' Terminal 8.
What do you think about JFK Terminal 7's recent changes? Let us know in the comments.