The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has broken ground on a project to expand a truck parking facility at JFK Airport.
Representatives of PANYNJ, community leaders, and elected officials attended the ceremony at the JFK Airport Travel Plaza on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Teresa Rizzuto, general manager of JFK, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, U.S. Rep Gregory Meeks, Sen. Leroy Comrie, District 31 Council Member Selvena Brooks Powers, and Community Board 13 Chair Brian Block were among the attendees.
The expanded parking lot and new concessions will be adjacent to the JFK Airport Plaza, tripling the number of trucks that can park at the airport. The Port Authority Board of Commissioners previously approved a supplemental lease with the plaza’s operator to build and operate the project. Currently, the Airport Truck Plaza has a food court, convenience store, gas station, electric vehicle charging station, and 50 truck parking spaces available.
The parking expansion project will accommodate up to 100 additional trucks. It requires the demolition of Building 110, a vacant food preparation facility that hasn’t been used in over 25 years. Additionally, new bathrooms and concessions will be built in the area. Completion of the project is expected by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
The PANYNJ prioritized expanding the parking facility to address longstanding community concerns and keep up with the growing needs of air cargo at JFK.
In March, local elected officials, including Council Members Williams and Brooks Powers, rallied community advocates and leaders to demand that Southeast Queens be included in the city’s Overnight Truck Parking Pilot program.
This April, JFK Airport opened a state-of-the-art cargo facility for the first time in over 25 years. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey(PANYNJ) worked in partnership with Realterm and Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) to open the center. Operated by WFS, JFK’s primary cargo handler, the 350,000-square-foot consolidated cargo handling center replaces two older facilities and costs $270 million.
Additionally, the expansion of the truck parking facility aligns with PANYNJ’s sustainability goals of reaching net-zero greenhouse gases by 2050 by including 35 universal EV charging stations and other green energy technology. In 2024, JFK handled 1.67 million tons of cargo, a 5% increase from 2023 and 25 % more than in 2019. This made it the eighth-busiest cargo airport in the U.S. and 21st globally.
“Breaking ground for the expansion of truck parking facilities at JFK Airport is a win for the airport, a win for the community, and a win for the drivers who support our cargo operations and help to keep our region moving,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “This is another example of how the Port Authority has been working closely with our neighbors to improve conditions for the community while we make historic investments at JFK Airport.”
Queens elected officials spoke about the impact the expanded parking plaza would have on the local economy and communities surrounding the airport.
“By improving cargo movement and reducing the number of illegal vehicles parked alongside our streets and airport roads, we’re addressing long-standing community concerns and enhancing efficiency,” said Meeks.
Richards added that as the $20 billion modernization of JFK airport comes to fruition, a balance must be struck between addressing the need to process cargo and maintaining quality of life.
“With the $20 billion modernization of Kennedy Airport comes a continued expansion of the facility’s capacity to process cargo. But that doesn’t mean families living near the airport should bear the burden of added truck traffic on their local streets, creating concerns around air quality and street safety,” said Richards. “This significant expansion of truck parking at JFK means they will not have to. Thank you to our partners at the Port Authority for continuing to address community concerns like these.”
Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson described the expansion project as a “hard-fought victory” for residents surrounding JFK Airport.
“For years, residents have complained about trucks being parked illegally in the surrounding streets. We are grateful the airport will be tripling its truck parking lot at JFK, providing our truckers a safe space to leave their vehicles overnight,” Anderson said. “JFK Airport is the heart of the NYC economy, but it shouldn’t burden neighbors. As the volume and size of cargo increase, I continue to ask residents to report illegally parked trucks.”
“Today’s groundbreaking is a win for working families, for truckers and for our southeast Queens communities,” said Brooks-Powers added. “For too long, residents have dealt with the consequences of illegal truck parking. Tripling the number of on-airport truck parking spaces at JFK is a meaningful step forward. This project reflects our commitment to building safer streets, supporting truck drivers, and modernizing our infrastructure with sustainability and equity at the forefront.”
Local community leaders also discussed the lasting impacts the expanded parking plaza would have on the surrounding community.
“Today, we can finally look forward to the potential solution of a problem our communities have suffered through for many years… overnight truck parking,” said Block. “Now, finally, through the efforts of our local elected officials and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, this problem appears to have a solution — 100-plus truck parking spaces on the land area within JFK Airport. This is what our communities have always wanted.”
James Johnson, executive director of the GatewayJFK BID, said the organization is proud to support the investment in on-airport truck parking.
“Our mission is to ensure JFK International Airport remains a global cargo hub while safeguarding the quality of life for local residents and promoting the economic vitality of our retail and commercial corridors,” Johnson said. “This project strikes the balanced approach we’ve long advocated for supporting cargo growth while reducing the negative impacts on nearby residential neighborhoods and small businesses. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Port Authority to create smart, community-conscious infrastructure solutions.”
