New York JFK Terminal 4 to Expand to Hold Delta in $1.2B Project

Delta Air Lines, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and JFK International Air Terminal LLC (JFKIAT) have unveiled plans to enhance and expand Terminal 4 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, in a $1.2 billion project.

Currently, Delta Air Lines operates predominantly out of JFK’s Terminal 2 for domestic flights and Terminal 3 for international service. The expansion of Terminal 4 – which has been managed by JFKIAT for over a decade – will replace Delta’s outdated Terminal 3 facilities, which will be demolished, to enhance the customer experience for the 11 million passengers the airline serves at JFK annually.

Delta expects its customers to experience an improvement in the airline’s operational performance at New York JFK as a result of dual taxiways, resulting in reduced taxi times and better on-time performance. Delta is also upgrading its inter-terminal passenger connectors between Terminals 2 and 4 for faster transit between the facilities.

This image shows how the future Delta Air Lines check-in area in New York JFK's expanded Terminal 4 will look once Phase 1 of the planned $1.2 billion expansion of the terminal is finished

The airline says its customers will further benefit from its ability to continue expanding its international network, which already includes non-stop service to 94 destinations from JFK and more than 1,200 weekly departures. International service includes non-stop service to Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, with new service being offered to Tokyo, Tel Aviv and Iceland among other destinations.

“The newly expanded and enhanced Terminal 4, one of many substantial investments we’re making in New York, will provide significant benefits to our customers, employees and the city of New York for decades to come,” says Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer. “Following a multi-year effort, we are very pleased to have reached a decision with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, JFKIAT and Schiphol USA [which owns JFKIAT – Editor]. This plan allows us to move forward with the enhancement of our JFK hub, one that will showcase modern, welcoming facilities and meet the needs of the world’s most competitive and largest aviation market.”

“John F. Kennedy Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, will continue its transformation into one of the nation’s most state-of the-art airports with the approval of this plan and the construction of a new billion-dollar extension to the international terminal,” says New York State Governor David Paterson. “The Terminal 4 expansion will not only help increase customer service for thousands of travelers and bring much-needed renovations and upgrades to handle the demands of 21st century air travel, but it will create hundreds of construction jobs for New York residents. I would like to thank Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward and Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson for their commitment to this project, and for laying the groundwork for a new, world-class terminal at JFK Airport.”

“Ensuring reliable air transportation to and from New York City is crucial to strengthening our economy. And the decision by Delta Air Lines to expand its international terminal at Kennedy Airport will make it easier for even more people to travel to this city in the coming years,” remarks New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Not only will this $1.2 billion project cement New York City’s status as the nation’s top travel destination, it will also create an additional 10,000 jobs over the next three years.”

This is how the Delta Air Lines gate areas in New York JFK terminal 4's expanded Concourse B will look once Phase 1 of the planned $1.2 billion expansion of the terminal is complete

Since making a strategic decision to build New York into a hub earlier this decade, Delta has made major investments across the New York region, boosting its economic impact to more than $13 billion annually. Delta says its current JFK operation generates 49,000 jobs in the region, adding that the Terminal 4 expansion project will create an additional 10,000 jobs in the New York Metropolitan Region by 2014, including airport and construction jobs. Over the next 60 months, the $1.2 billion project will generate $500 million of personal income in the region and $1.6 billion of economic output from the purchases of goods and services.

When completed, the total economic impact of Delta’s New York operation will contribute more than $19 billion annually to the state of New York.

“Over the past decade, we’ve invested billions to improve the customer experience for the 46 million passengers that fly through JFK each year,” says Anthony Coscia, chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “This partnership with Delta Air Lines is our latest effort to ensure that JFK is an airport for the 21st century.”

Construction of the JFK Terminal 4 enhancements is scheduled to begin in September, with completion of phase one and relocation of Delta’s Terminal 3 operations to Terminal 4 expected in May 2013.

Delta’s JFK terminal project includes the expansion of Concourse B at Terminal 4, with nine new international gates; the construction of a passenger connector between Terminal 2 and Terminal 4; expanded areas for baggage claim, Customs and Border Protection; and the demolition of Terminal 3 in May 2015. The Terminal 3 site will then be used for aircraft parking.

More photos of the planned renovations are available online at news.delta.com

JFKIAT LLC, which operates Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, is wholly owned by Schiphol USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Schiphol North America Holding Inc. Schiphol North America Holding is an indirect subsidiary of NV Luchthaven Schiphol, a Dutch company based in Amsterdam. JFKIAT is the only private, non-airline company to be selected by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to operate a terminal at JFK.

The 1.5-million-square-foot Terminal 4 opened in May 2001 and reached an annual passenger volume of 9.5 million air travelers in 2009. Terminal 4 is one of the largest terminals in the New York area, serving nearly 40 international and domestic airlines.