The transformation of New York Metropolis’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) continues to surge forward. This week, the airport reached a considerable milestone when the brand-new Terminal 6 completed its curtain partitions and enclosed the brand new terminal for the primary time.
It is a main milestone, and the airport is on monitor to carry a grand opening this coming January — forward of schedule.
TPG was certainly one of solely two media shops that acquired a tour of the brand new terminal, which can be a significant step ahead for airport infrastructure within the Northeast.
We additionally acquired our first take a look at a newly unveiled artwork set up that can greet passengers as they arrive on the airport. You’ll be able to see what that spectacular mural will seem like within the illustration beneath.
The 12,000 sq. foot “JFK International Panorama” is a custom-designed, 3D ombre art work that includes iconic New York Metropolis-based imagery and flight routes illustrating international connectivity.
A reworked JFK Airport and brand-new Terminal 6
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs JFK, is in the midst of a $19 billion challenge to rework the airport. When it is achieved, there can be a number of brand-new terminals, in addition to new roads and ramps to make attending to and from the airport a lot simpler.
The staff behind the fabulous Terminal B at New York Metropolis’s completely redone LaGuardia Airport (LGA) can be constructing Terminal 6 at JFK.
JFK Millennium Companions gave TPG a tour of the brand new Terminal 6 and instructed us about how Terminal 7 subsequent door will ultimately get torn down. In its footprint, one other 4 gates for the second part of the challenge will grow to be a part of an expanded Terminal 6. The second part is predicted to open in 2028.
The brand new terminal can be a whopping 1.2 million sq. toes and provide 10 new gates, a number of of which can be constructed to deal with wide-body jets. You may get a good suggestion of the scale of the area while you look out over the brand new central hub of the brand new terminal.
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“This success helps different upcoming milestones, together with including everlasting energy and reside testing the constructing,” JFK Millennium Companions mentioned in a press launch.
The press launch continued: “Greater than 1,200 native staff are presently on web site to make sure a easy opening for greater than a dozen carriers that can be relocating to the brand new terminal, amongst them: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, ANA, Austrian Airways, Avianca, Brussels Airways, Cathay Pacific, Condor, Frontier, JetBlue, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Norse Atlantic, and SWISS.”
The brand new Terminal 6 at JFK
Starting at departures, passengers can look ahead to the brand new terminal’s digital-first visitor expertise, with a large light-filled corridor crammed with digital billboards and blond wooden accents.
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The departures space will function one of many longest departures curbs at JFK, with airline-branded passenger drop-off zones.
They’re utterly reconstructing the roadway system in entrance of the terminal, too. It’s going to have extra logical entry and exit spots, in addition to quick access to 2 totally different AirTrain stations.
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Ultimately, will probably be lower than a five-minute common stroll from the TSA safety checkpoint exit to all gates.
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As soon as by safety, it is possible for you to to enter the large welcome corridor, the Grand Corridor, which is able to function a large skylight and 100,000 sq. toes of New York Metropolis-inspired buying and eating shops.
It is an awe-inspiring area, even when it nonetheless appears like a building zone.
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You’ll be able to inform how wonderful it should ultimately be. Listed below are some renderings of what the ultimate product would possibly seem like.
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New Terminal 6 rendering. JFK MILLENNIUM PARTNERS
Terminal 6 may have 5 airline lounges airside, plus an arrivals lounge. JFK Millennium instructed me there’s not but a confirmed airline to host the first-ever arrivals lounge at JFK Airport (so when you’re an airline, there’s nonetheless time to seize the area).
It is laborious to inform within the photographs beneath, however that is the place Lufthansa is opening a large new lounge in Terminal 6, which may have a devoted entrance by way of escalators. Whereas we do not but have all the main points, we count on it should embrace devoted Lufthansa first-class, business-class and Senator lounges.
Cathay Pacific goes to open its first-ever JFK lounge on this area, too. An enormous announcement about certainly one of that lounge’s cool options ought to come quickly.
Aer Lingus has additionally confirmed that it’ll have a dedicated lounge in Terminal 6; will probably be reachable by way of a set of stairs you’ll be able to see within the picture beneath.
Within the picture above, you’ll be able to see that the left aspect is the place you may stroll towards Terminal 5 as soon as building is full.
The brand new terminal can be related each land- and airside to the adjoining Terminal 5, which is dwelling to JetBlue Airways’ JFK hub. By the point the challenge is finished, you’ll shuttle between terminals 5 and 6 for buying and even lounge hopping.
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Terminal 6 and JetBlue’s Terminal 5 will truly share a customs corridor. You’ll be able to see the photographs of the brand new customs space within the gallery beneath; it should function wide-open areas and pure gentle coming from the partitions and ceiling above.
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The luggage system is spectacular. It begins with biometric bag drops at check-in. From there, baggage will get carried by a posh system of conveyer belts and scanned by robots.
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One other factor to notice in regards to the challenge is its environmental focus. The terminal makes use of sustainably sourced constructing supplies, rooftop solar energy, and energy-efficient methods and working practices all through. JFK Millennium Companions instructed me it’s aiming to have LEED Silver or Gold certification for the challenge.
Backside line
When completed, the reworked Terminal 6 can be a sight to behold. From the dramatic skylights to the large Grand Corridor, the biometric screening and bag drops to the robotic baggage handlers, this airport terminal can be fairly a revelation.
It might find yourself being one of many nation’s greatest airport terminals — and can give the opposite LGA and Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) an actual run for greatest tri-state airport as soon as it is all achieved.
For extra in regards to the revamped JFK, you should definitely try the newest beneath.