John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

Facts & Information
Operated by - John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is operated by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey under a lease with the City of New York since June 1, 1947.
Location - JFK is located in the southeastern section of Queens County, New York City, on Jamaica Bay. It is fifteen miles by highway from midtown Manhattan. Geographic reference points are 40° 38' 28.5" north, 73° 46' 41.9" west.
Size - JFK consists of 4,930 acres, including 880 acres in the Central Terminal Area (CTA). The airport has more than 30 miles of roadway and is 12.7 feet above sea level.
History - Construction began in April 1942, when the City of New York contracted for the placing of hydraulic fill over the marshy tidelands on the site of Idlewild Golf Course. Planned at first for 1,000 acres, the airport grew to five times that size. First commercial flights began on July 1, 1948. The airport was formally dedicated as New York International Airport on July 31, 1948. It was re-dedicated on December 24, 1963 as John F. Kennedy International Airport, following action of the Mayor and Council of the City of New York, and a resolution of the Commissioners of the Port Authority.
Investment - About $150 million was expended on original construction. The Port Authority has invested more than $4.3 billion in the airport.
Employment & Economic Impact - Over 35,000 people are employed at the airport. Kennedy Airport contributes approximately $30.1 billion in economic activity to the NY/NJ metropolitan region generating some 265,180 jobs and $11.2 billion in wages and salaries.
JFK Redevelopment Program - The redevelopment program at JFK consists of several major projects undertaken by the Port Authority and its airline and airport partners. Completed projects include the construction of Terminal 1, on the site of the former Eastern Airlines facility, and Terminal 4, on the site of the former International Arrivals Building; the re-development of Terminal 7, the British Airways terminal; and two new cargo buildings totaling 435,00 square feet of new warehouse and office space. Projects underway are the construction of a new mega-terminal by American Airlines that will replace terminals 8 and 9; AirTrain JFK, a light rail transit system that will connect airport passengers to New York City subways and buses and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR); new and improved roadway systems and utilities; and the planning of a new passenger facility to accommodate JetBlue Airways.
Central Terminal Area - The Central Terminal Area (CTA) consists of nine airline passenger terminals numbered 1 to 9, surrounded by a dual ring of peripheral taxiways. Initially 655 acres, the CTA was enlarged to 880 acres by relocation of the taxiways to provide space needed for expansion of the passenger terminals.
To further assist travelers, a color-coding system (green, blue, orange, yellow and red) is used on all roadway signs leading to each terminal - from the entrances to the airport to parking near each terminal.






JFK Terminals
In 1994, a consortium of airlines - Air France, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Lufthansa - spearheaded the era of dazzling new terminals with the construction of Terminal 1. The new Terminal 1, completed in May 1998, consists of 684,000 squarefeet, 11 aircraft gates, retail shops, restaurants, and a dual-level frontage.
Delta Air Lines is located in Terminals 2and 3, built in 1962 and 1960 respectively.
In May 2001, the new Terminal 4, formerly the International Arrivals Building (IAB) was opened. The $1.4 billion terminal dramatically improved passenger service through the use of separate levels for departing and arriving passengers; consolidated ticketing and baggage operations; improved customer facilities, duty free and retail shops, bistros and other eateries, all in a mall-like environment.
Terminal 5, the former TransWorld Airways terminal, is currently unoccupied.
Terminal 6, formerly operated by TWA and now by JetBlue Airways, opened in 1969. JetBlue and the Port Authority have committed more than $7.5 million worth of interim improvements to Terminal 6 including wider roads, new ticket counters and refurbished restrooms, new baggage systems, and enhanced shops and restaurants.
Terminal 7(British Airways) opened in 1970. In April 1997, British Airways, together with the Port Authority, invested $250 million in the complex, which included an additional building expansion with new retail outlets and concessions, new access roadways and improved parking facilities. Construction of this project began in 1998. The expansion program added 140,000 square-feet to the original area, and the terminal now consists of 350,000 square-feet with three additional wide-body gates for a total of 12 gates. Substantial improvements were made to both the departure and arrivals roadways and the terminal frontage. The parking lot in front of the terminal was also expanded significantly through the construction of a new deck over the existing lot.
Terminal 8 opened in 1960 and houses American Airlines' international flights. Terminal 9 was built in 1959 and serves American Airline's domestic destinations. American Airlines began construction in November 1999 of a new $1.4 billion terminal complex to replace Terminals 8 and 9. The complex will serve both domestic and international passengers on three concourses - one for arrivals and baggage handling, one for departures and another for clubs, lounges and offices. The new complex will also include a customs and immigration facility that can process up to 2,400 people per hour, a 10,000 square-foot retail and concession space, and a new 1,900-space parking garage in front of the building. The complex will be constructed in four stages to allow for uninterrupted passenger service. The 2.2 million square-foot terminal will be the largest at JFK and is scheduled for completion in 2007.
Air Traffic Control Tower
At 321 feet, the Air Traffic Control Tower, constructed on the ramp-side of Terminal 4, began full FAA operations in October 1994. The FAA cab and an Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE) radar unit sit atop 1,620 yards of cast-in-place concrete. The control tower provides improved observation of aeronautical areas and includes state-of-the-art electronic equipment to safely and efficiently accommodate air traffic operations.
Roadway System - A new roadway system has been constructed in the airport's Central Terminal Area (CTA). The new configuration divides the roadway network into five terminal areas. Motorists can now make direct connections between individual terminals or parking lots and the Van Wyck and JFK Expressways, the two main arteries into and out of the airport. The roadway project has also upgraded and expanded the JFK Expressway, increasing the use of the improved Nassau Expressway or Belt Parkway interchange, thereby alleviating congestion on the Van Wyck.
Much of the major construction has been completed and the remaining work is being done in phases to minimize its impact on airport traffic.
Expanded terminal frontages and landscaping are part of the plan as was the Central Taxi Hold, which opened in May 1995. The taxi hold lot, which makes taxi service more readily available and efficient, was expanded and improved to further upgrade our taxi operations. In addition, a hold lot for limousines is also being constructed in order to facilitate this operation.

JFK AirTrain - Ground was broken on September 16, 1998 for AirTrain; a new fully automated Light Rail Transit System that will link JFK's Central Terminal Area (CTA) terminals with the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and the New York City subway and bus system. International transfer time will be cut dramatically and traffic congestion on and around the airport frontages will be reduced as well. AirTrain, scheduled to commence service by the end of 2003, will provide quick, convenient rail access between JFK and Manhattan (Penn Station) and Long Island. Peak hour headways in the CTA will be at two minutes between terminals, and four minutes to and from Howard Beach or Jamaica. Travel time from midtown Manhattan to JFK on the LIRR will be under 45 minutes.
Power Plant
A cogeneration plant that uses gas-fired electric generation technology is in operation. The plant generates more than enough electricity for the entire airport, with an output of some 90 megawatts - enough to power a small city - as well as thermal energy from the capture of waste heat. The thermal energy produced is sufficient to heat and cool all of the passenger terminals and other facilities in the Central Terminal Area (CTA).
The plant has been privately financed, developed and operated saving approximately $260 million in needed infrastructure costs. KIAC Partners operate the plant under a 25-year agreement with the Port Authority, and also manages the existing Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant and related thermal distribution systems.
Parking - The airport offers over 14,700 public spaces including an employee lot, two 1,400-space parking garages, the long-term lot and an additional 3,200 spaces in the Central Terminal Area (CTA).
In response to the increased demand for parking generated by the growth in traveling customers, a new parking deck across from Terminal 7 opened in November 2000, adding 700 more parking spaces on airport. An additional parking garage is under development, in conjunction with the Terminal 8
construction project.
Parking has become more convenient at JFK with the introduction of the E-ZPassparking payment system, E-ZPass Plus. E-ZPass Plus, a new automated system, allows customers to pay for parking utilizing the same E-ZPasstechnology used to pay roadway tolls throughout the region.