New York JFK Airport has officially begun construction on its new and improved Terminal 6 as part of a wider multi-billion redevelopment project. The first new gates are expected to open in 2026, with construction completed in 2028 - let's take a closer look at what this means for New York's busiest airport.

JFK Terminal 6 work up and running

The new $4.2 billion terminal project will create 1.15 million square feet of space and boast state-of-the-art tech, including touchless check-in gates and automated TSA lanes for a seamless passenger experience. Terminal space will include more than 100,000 square feet of shopping and dining facilities, 10 new gates (including nine widebody gates) and a taxi plaza and car hire pick-up area shared with Terminal 5.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes led a groundbreaking ceremony a few weeks ago - with plans to connect to its home at Terminal 5, JetBlue has been closely involved in the project with JFK Millenium Partners, a private consortium consisting of Vantage Airport Group, American Triple I and RXR Realty. The project will lead to the creation of roughly 4,000 jobs, while the wider JFK redevelopment plan could create up to 15,000 jobs.

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A New JFK

The Terminal 6 development is part of the 'A New JFK' project involving the development of a new Terminal 1 and expansion work at the airport's Terminal 4 and Terminal 8 facilities. According to Bloomberg, the entire project will involve nearly $16 billion of private investment on top of the billions invested by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

Out of the $4.2 billion allocated for Terminal 6, around $2 billion will be spent on planning, design and construction services led by AECOM Hunt. To make way for the first phase of Terminal 6, the 60-year-old Terminal 7 will be demolished and its primary tenant - British Airways - will move over to Terminal 8 later this year. The idea behind the new terminal and its connections is to "create an anchor for passenger travel on JFK’s north side" and transform the airport into a modern global gateway.

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Infrastructure costs up by $1 billion

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey recently granted a budget increase of $1 billion for the infrastructure portion of the project due to rising labor costs, inflation and supply chain complications, upping its contribution from $2.9 billion to $3.9 billion. As quoted by Bloomberg, James Heitmann, director of aviation redevelopment at the Port Authority, said,

"These increases are driven by market conditions, the elongated schedule, escalation and the post-Covid market outlook."

The agency has also allocated billions towards projects at the region's two other major airports - Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

Are you looking forward to experiencing the new Terminal 6 at JFK? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Bloomberg

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  New York JFK Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  JFK/KJFK

  Country:

  United States

  CEO:

  Rick Cotton (Executive Director of Port Authority of NY and NJ)

  Passenger Count :

  16,630,642 (2020)

  Runways :

  4L/22R - 3,682m (12,079 ft) | 4R/22L - 2,560m (8,400 ft) | 13L/31R - 3,048m (10,000 ft) | 13R/31L - 4,423m (14,511 ft)

  Terminals:

  Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 4 | Terminal 5 | Terminal 7 | Terminal 8