Brooklyn Boro

Brooklynites, other New Yorkers hail groundbreaking of new JFK Terminal

Private finance will pay cost Of terminal; PA will pay for roads, parking, utilities

September 8, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
Share this:

Brooklynites and other New Yorkers on Thursday hailed a key milestone in the Port Authority’s transformation of JFK International Airport with the groundbreaking for a $9.5 billion, privately-financed New Terminal One.

The start of construction follows a revised agreement late last year between the Port Authority and the New Terminal One — a consortium of financial sponsors — to build the 2.4 million-square-foot new international terminal that will anchor the south side of JFK and is expected to create 10,000 jobs, including 6,000 jobs in construction.

Designed to accommodate the growing demand for international air travel, the New Terminal One will be more than twice the size of the current Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Bright and airy check-in halls and arrival spaces, advanced security technology and a state-of-the-art baggage handling system will enhance the passenger experience.

The new Terminal One will double the number of gates that currently accommodate wide-body aircraft, with 22 of the 23 new gates designed for larger aircraft that are key to international travel.

In keeping with the Port Authority’s commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the terminal will be sustainably designed and future focused, including on-site renewable energy generation, electric ground support equipment and optimized lighting and building controls.

This is what the interior of the planned New Terminal One at JFK International Airport is slated to look like once completed. Rendering courtesy of Port Authority

Initially expected to break ground in 2020, the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel required that the Port Authority and the New Terminal One (NTO) consortium restructure the previous agreement to build and operate the new terminal.

The entire cost of the terminal will be privately financed by the NTO consortium. The Port Authority will undertake infrastructure upgrades and improvements including roads, parking and utilities.

The baggage-handling area of the planned New Terminal One at JFK International Airport. Notice the old Checker cab on display. Rendering courtesy of Port Authority

The project is scheduled to be built in phases, with the arrivals and departures hall and 14 new gates opening in 2026 and completion of the terminal’s final nine gates in 2030. It will be constructed on the sites of the current undersized Terminal 1, the 60-year-old Terminal 2 and the site of the former Terminal 3, which was demolished in 2014.

Carlo A. Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress said, “The New York Building Congress is thrilled to witness the commencement of construction on JFK’s new Terminal One — and proud that our members are designing and building it. Our airports are the rest of the world’s gateway to the city, and essential in keeping New York a global tourism powerhouse.”

Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress, hailed the groundbreaking. Photo courtesy of Carlo Scissura

“Our state-of-the-art renovations of New York State’s airports are critical and long overdue — especially at JFK, the nation’s front door to the world,” Hochul said. “The investments we are making today will ensure all New Yorkers, and the tens of millions of people who come here every year, have a first-class travel experience tomorrow, all while creating more than 10,000 jobs.”

Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said, “The new Terminal One project represents the biggest and boldest public-private partnership in the history of Port Authority airports, involving the commitment of $9.5 billion of private investment, all brought to the table by private investors with faith in New York, faith in the region and faith in the future of JFK International Airport. Our explicit goal is to build one of the top 10 airline terminals in the world.”

Subscribe to our newsletters


Leave a Comment


Leave a Comment