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John F. Kennedy International Airport


 

Structure and function

Four runways in two parallel pairs surround the central terminal area. Runway 13R-31L is the second longest commercial runway in North America, at a length of 14,572 ft (4,441 m).

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The 1948 Temporary Terminal was the sole terminal until 1957. The 1957 International Arrivals Building was itself replaced by the $1.4B Terminal 4 in 2001. Eight other "Unit Terminals" were constructed from 1958 to 1971: each was designed by one of the airport's main airlines. Replacements for some of the original terminals have been completed or are under development. There are also numerous large facilities north and west of the central terminals for air cargo handling and loading.

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Terminal 3, Pan Am's JFK Worldport, was opened in 1962. It featured a large, elliptical roof suspended by 32 sets of radial posts and cables. The roof extended far beyond the base of the terminal and covered the passenger loading area. It introduced special bridges that connected to the terminal and that could be moved to provide an easy walkway for passengers from the terminal to a docked aircraft.

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Terminal 5, the TWA Flight Center, also opened in 1962. It was designed by the famous architect Eero Saarinen. It came to feature two flight wings, which contained the gates.

Related Topics:
Architect - Eero Saarinen

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Both Terminal 5 and Terminal 3 were modified in the 1970s to accommodate 747s.

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In 1998, the airport began construction of a rapid transit system called AirTrain JFK, designed to link JFK's passenger terminals to New York City's general mass transit system at Howard Beach and Jamaica. After over a year of delay, caused by the death of an employee during testing, the system opened on December 17, 2003. AirTrain provides connections to the New York City Subway and Long Island Rail Road.

Related Topics:
1998 - Rapid transit - AirTrain JFK - Howard Beach - Jamaica - December 17 - 2003 - New York City Subway - Long Island Rail Road

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For more information about transportation to JFK, see transportation to New York City area airports.

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Terminal 1

The site was originally occupied by Eastern Airlines 1958 terminal. The original terminal was demolished and replaced by a new terminal, financed by a consortium of four international airlines (Air France, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Lufthansa), which was completed in 1998 and has eleven gates.

Related Topics:
Eastern Airlines - 1998

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Terminal 2

Terminal 2 was completed in 1962 for Northwest Airlines, Northeast Airlines, and Braniff Airways. It later evolved as an extension of the Pan Am terminal (see below) for domestic flights. Delta Air Lines acquired the terminal in Pan Am's wake and now uses it primarily for its low-fare subsidiary, Song. T2 has eleven gates.

Related Topics:
1962 - Northwest Airlines - Northeast Airlines - Braniff Airways - Delta Air Lines

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Terminal 3

Terminal 3, which opened in 1960, was constructed for Pan American World Airways and was originally known as the Pan Am Terminal. In 1971 it was expanded as the Pan Am Worldport. It is particularly famous for its "flying saucer" roof and rooftop parking facilities: upon its expansion in 1972, it was also briefly the world's largest airline terminal. Delta Air Lines purchased the terminal lease from failing Pan Am in 1991, and announced plans to demolish the terminal entirely in 2000, but later opted to refurbish the terminal instead. T3 has seventeen gates.

Related Topics:
1960 - Pan American World Airways - Pan Am - 1972 - Delta Air Lines - 2000

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Terminal 4

Terminal 4 opened in 2001 to replace the former International Arrivals Terminal. (The International Arrivals Terminal was an international style building that was built in the 1950s, and was one of the airport's earliest terminals.) It is the only 24-hour terminal at the airport, and features a modular design that will allow it to be expanded further if necessary. The terminal is run by a private consortium comprising Lehman Brothers, real estate developer LCOR Inc. and Dutch-based airport operator Schiphol USA. It currently has sixteen gates.

Related Topics:
International style - 1950s - Lehman Brothers - Schiphol

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Terminal 5 (closed)

Terminal 5 was formerly the TWA terminal. It was designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1962. It is the airport's most famous landmark.

Related Topics:
TWA - Eero Saarinen - 1962

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Following American Airlines' buyout of TWA in 2001, Terminal 5 went out of service. Its unique architectural features prevented the installation of modern security and ticketing facilities. The Port Authority has proposed converting the main portion of the building into a restaurant and conference center, but some architectural critics have opposed this move.

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The peripheral air-side parts of Terminal 5 are expected to be demolished to make space for a mostly new terminal. It will be expanded for JetBlue's use - incorporating the classic Saarinen structure in its front center area. It will have 26 gates and is expected to be complete by 2008.

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Terminal 6

Terminal 6 was originally built for National Airlines in 1969: TWA procured the building lease after National was sold to Pan Am. Following TWA's demise, T6 was partly renovated for the use of JetBlue Airways, requiring $7.5 million of capital investment for new terminal facilities and roadway upgrades. JetBlue's main operations hub is now housed in Terminal 6. It has fourteen gates.

Related Topics:
National Airlines - 1969 - TWA - Pan Am - JetBlue Airways

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  • JetBlue Airways (Domestic) (Aguadilla, Buffalo, Burbank, Burlington, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Long Beach, New Orleans, Oakland, Ontario, Orlando, Phoenix, Ponce, Portland (OR), Rochester (NY), Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Jose (CA), San Juan, Seattle/Tacoma, Syracuse, Tampa, West Palm Beach)
  • JetBlue Airways (International Departures) (Nassau and Santiago (DR))

Terminal 7

Terminal 7 was originally known as the British Airways Terminal. It was completed in 1970 and extensively expanded and refurbished in 1991 and again in 2003. It has twelve gates.

Related Topics:
1970 - 1991 - 2003

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Terminal 8

Terminal 8 was completed in 1960 and originally known as the American Airlines Terminal. It is easily recognizable by its colorful stained-glass facade created by the American artist Robert Sowers. It has fifteen gates.

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  • American Airlines (International & Caribbean) (Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Cancun, Caracas, Kingston, London/Heathrow, Montego Bay, Paris/CDG, Port au Prince, Providenciales, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Rome/Fiumicino, St. Maarten, San Jose (CR), Santiago (DR), Santo Domigo (DR), St. Thomas, Tokyo/Narita, Zurich)
  • Finnair (Helsinki/Vantaa)

Terminal 9

Terminal 9, completed in 1959, and was previously known as the United Airlines Terminal. It has ten gates.

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  • American Airlines (Domestic and Puerto Rico) (Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, Orange County, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan, Seattle/Tacoma)
  • American Eagle (Boston, Halifax, Montreal, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, Washington/Reagan)

    • Both Terminal 8 and Terminal 9 will be replaced by a $1.4 billion, 2.2 million square foot (200,000 m²) "mega-terminal," which will accommodate American Airlines' international and domestic passengers in one facility, in 2007. The first phase is complete, and opened on August 24th, 2005. The next step is to demolish the existing terminals to make way for the rest of the new terminal, which will eventually consist of two piers and a satellite http://www.armandcorp.com/american-airlines.asp. Due to the ongoing construction, it is currently not possible to connect between the two terminals without passing through security, leaving the terminal, and walking outside for a considerable distance.

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Other facilities

JFK has dedicated cargo terminals for Continental Airlines, Emirates SkyCargo, EVA Air, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and United Airlines. Most cargo and maintenance facilities at JFK are located north and west of the main terminal area.

Related Topics:
Continental Airlines - Emirates - EVA Air - Japan Airlines - Korean Air - Nippon Cargo Airlines - Northwest Airlines - United Airlines

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JetBlue Airways built a central maintenance and operations base at JFK, which was completed in May of 2005.

Related Topics:
JetBlue Airways - 2005

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◄ John F. Kennedy International Airport: History
John F. Kennedy International Airport: Notes ►

~ Table of Content ~

►Introduction
►History
►Structure and function
►Notes
►JFK Airport in film
►External link

 

 

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