By Ivan Pereira
John F. Kennedy International Airport’s expansion of Terminal 4 may be two years away from completion, but the airline spearheading the improvements is giving flyers a 3-D sneak peek at what’s in store.
Delta Airlines announced last week that it reached a major milestone in its $1.2 billion project with the completion of the steel frame of the Concourse B extension. The extension will be home to new Sky Club eating areas and nine new international gates.
”Delta’s expanded and enhanced Terminal 4 at JFK will provide a modern international gateway for millions of travelers and accommodate future growth for Delta in New York,” Gail Grimmett, Delta’s senior vice president for New York, said in a statement.
Construction began in November and will include Delta moving its international flights from Terminal 3 to the expanded Terminal 4, and the airline will run 16 of the 25 gates in the new space when it opens in 2013. Terminal 3 will be demolished and the space will be used as a parking lot for aircraft.
In addition to the new terminals, the project, which is creating 10,000 new jobs, involves the development of state-of-the-art baggage handling systems and security machines.
Delta said it has begun promoting the new space with a three-minute video tour that will be displayed on monitors throughout JFK’s terminals. The CGI animation, which also can be viewed on the airline’s YouTube page, includes footage of the new taxi entrance, terminals and amenities and is complemented with narration.
“This is a game-changing project for our customers and the entire regional aviation system,” Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, said in a statement.
“It increases JFK’s capacity, vastly improves the customer experience for hundreds of thousands of Delta travelers and strengthens the economic competitiveness of the most important gateway in the country,” he said.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
