USA. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has revealed details of the new 2.4 million sq ft international terminal that will anchor the south side of John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport.
The US$9.5 billion project will be led by The New Terminal One (NTO) consortium. On completion, The New Terminal One will be the largest international terminal at JFK and, according to the Port Authority, “among the top rated airport terminals in the world.”
The New Terminal One will be built on the sites of the older terminals 1, 2 and 3 (T3 was demolished in 2013). Construction of the new terminal is scheduled to begin in mid-2022 and the first phase, including the new arrivals and departures hall and first set of new gates, is expected to open in 2026. The terminal will be completed in phases through to 2030.
The Port Authority pledged “world-class retail, restaurants and bars” that will include locally inspired restaurateurs, craft beverage options and Taste NY stores. Passenger facilities will feature significantly larger check-in, security and concessions areas with high ceilings, natural light and modern architecture coupled with interior green space, exhibits and art featuring New York landmarks and local artists.
Free, high-speed Wi-Fi and charging stations will be available throughout the terminal. A “touchless passenger journey” is promised, featuring digital passenger flow and queue management, TSA security lanes featuring the latest technology, advanced video search analytics, biometric-based systems and a flexible design will accommodate future technology and/or regulatory changes, said the Port Authority.
The organisation said in a statement: “The New Terminal One will incorporate the latest advances in both sustainability and security and be infused with a uniquely New York Sense of Place.”
“As we recover from this pandemic, I want to ensure that everyone travelling to New York has a welcoming and streamlined experience, and that New Yorkers have the modernised transportation hubs they deserve,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
The Port Authority Board of Commissioners will vote on the proposed lease agreement at its meeting this Thursday. The full cost of the terminal will be privately financed by the NTO consortium, which includes financial partners Carlyle, JLC Infrastructure and Ullico. Reach Airports, a joint venture of Munich Airport International and Carlyle’s airport platform CAG Holdings, is the operating and technical services partner.
The project was initially scheduled to break ground in 2020. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on air travel, the terms of the agreement have been restructured. A key element is an extended lease term to 2060 to provide sufficient time after the terminal opens to enable the partners to recover their investments.
Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said: “The Port Authority is committed to rebuilding and transforming our airports into the world-class facilities the region deserves. The New Terminal One project at JFK will deliver on that commitment. Today’s announcement loudly proclaims the confidence the private sector has in the future of JFK Airport and of our region.
“At the height of the pandemic, when JFK Airport was seeing an unthinkable two percent of its pre-Covid passenger volumes, we never lost sight of finding a path forward for this world-class terminal that aspires to be one of the best on the globe.”
Plans for The New Terminal One complement three other elements in the airport’s transformation. The US$3.9 billion development of a new Terminal 6, to be built by JFK Millennium Partners on the airport’s north side, will connect with JetBlue’s existing Terminal 5. That move was approved by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners in August.
The US$1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta and JFK International Air Terminal, was approved in Spring and will begin construction in the immediate future. Additionally, work began in December 2019 on the US$425 million expansion of Terminal 8. This is led by American Airlines, which operates the terminal, and British Airways, which will be relocating to Terminal 8 from Terminal 7, set to be demolished to make way for the new Terminal 6.
