It’s been one year since the start of the $4.2 billion development of JFK Terminal 6.
The massive project is a part of The Port Authority’s whopping $19 billion JFK Vision Plan to reimagine JFK International Airport.
Terminal 6’s redevelopment is being conducted in collaboration with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the terminal’s development company, JFK Millennium Partners (JMP) , a member of Vantage Airport Group. To encapsulate the one-year milestone, JMP released a rendering and updates on the highly anticipated project.
The rendering includes views of the outside of the 1.2 million square-foot single concourse design, which features air train accessibility. Other highlights showcase the inside of the facility, featuring an oculus skylight, and the Grand Hall—a hub with New York inspired shops and restaurants—that “offer an experience akin to a boutique New York City hotel.”
The development will include other perks for travelers; a-state-of-the-art automated baggage system, up to five airline lounges, digital concierge services and a new ground transportation center and shared taxi stand with JFK’s Terminal 5.
The development will host the longest departures curb at JFK. Terminal 6 will have 10 gates, nine of which will accommodate wide body aircrafts. It is slated to open in two phases—the first five gates in 2026—with the remaining gates expected to be completed by 2028. The ongoing construction is projected to create over 4,000 jobs, including 1,800 union construction jobs.
“Watching the steel frame of a new Terminal 6 taking shape is a tangible sign that JFK’s transformation into a world-class global gateway is well underway,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “This magnificent new international terminal is a key component of the Port Authority’s $19 billion reimagining of John F. Kennedy International Airport, and it will bring unprecedented economic opportunities to the communities near the airport.”
Through the end of January, JMP has awarded over $450 million in contracts to 180 minority and women owned business enterprises (MWBE’s) and over $170 million to Queens based design firms to help build the new facility. The feat is a part of the Port Authority’s initiative to invest in MWBE’s with a goal of 30% participation within the project.
The completion of Terminal 6 is one of five major projects that is part of the JFK Vision Plan. In Jan. 2017, the JFK Vision Plan was announced, with the mission to transform JFK into a “world class airport that New Yorker’s deserve.”
The terminal is set to feature as many as five airline lounges, with Lufthansa being the first to announce its plans for a new lounge at this location, alongside an additional arrivals lounge.
Furthermore, Terminal 6 will be integrated with Terminal 5 which is home to JetBlue Airways, through a shared ground transportation center and taxi stand, enhancing connectivity. It will also boast direct connections to the AirTrain stations at both Terminal 5 and Terminal 7, streamlining access and movement for travelers.
So far, the $400 million modernization and expansion of Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, and British Airways was completed in November 2022. In September 2022, developers broke ground on the $9.5 billion development of state-of-the-art New Terminal One on the south side of the airport. Terminal 4 is currently undergoing a $1.5 billion expansion led by Delta Airlines and JFK International Air Terminal. Lastly, a $1.24 billion ground transportation center project is in development, slated to finish by 2027.
All the terminal projects—combined with the Port Authority’s roadway, parking and infrastructure projects—represent a $19 billion transformation of airport.
