The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and JFK Millennium Partners (JMP), the company selected to build and operate John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 6, marked one year since breaking ground on the $4.2 billion terminal with a sneak peek of the facility through a new animated rendering from terminal frontage to gate. Construction of the terminal is on schedule, with the last beams of steel expected to be erected this summer and the first gates to open in 2026.

John F. Kennedy International Airport, groundbreaking

Throughout construction, the project is expected to create more than 4,000 jobs, including 1,800 union construction jobs and direct wages of $1.9 billion. Through the end of January 2024, JMP has already awarded more than $450 million in contracts to minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and more than $170 million in contracts to Queens-based firms helping to build the 1.2 million square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. This includes over 180 MWBEs who are currently working on the project. The new terminal is part of the Port Authority’s historic $19 billion redevelopment that will transform JFK International Airport into a 21^st century global gateway set to rival the best airports in the world from curb to gate.

“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.”

“To see our hard-working, talented team and partners develop the new JFK Terminal 6 from the ground up is tremendously exciting. With each construction milestone and this one-year mark, we’re closer to welcoming passengers to an extraordinary new airport facility that will provide tremendous benefits to the local community, city, and state that Terminal 6 will proudly serve,” said George Casey, JFK Millennium Partners chairman and the chair and CEO of Vantage Airport Group, which leads Terminal 6 development and also spearheaded development of LaGuardia Airport’s new award-winning Terminal B – the first Skytrax five-star rated airport terminal in North America.

“We’ve had a busy, truly successful first year building T6,” said Steve Thody, interim CEO of JFK Millennium Partners. “In partnership with our design-build team at AECOM Hunt and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, we’ve assembled a strong, local workforce that is committed to achieving our 2024 milestones and building with the highest levels of quality and safety. We look forward to continued progress as we build a world-class terminal that international travelers will love, and all New Yorkers can soon call home.”

JMP is developing Terminal 6 in two phases, with the first five gates opening in early 2026 and construction completion expected by 2028. Lufthansa Group has announced it will move to the new terminal, operating flights to several European gateways and creating a world-class lounge experience for guests travelling on its group of airlines that includes Lufthansa, SWISS International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. Advanced discussions with other air carriers are underway.

John F. Kennedy International Airport, Terminal 6, rendering

New York City-inspired retail, dining options and amenities totaling nearly 100,000 square feet is planned at Terminal 6 to create a unique New York sense of place. Selection of the future food and beverage, retail and duty-free concession brands is underway, with partners to be announced once chosen. Terminal 6 airlines and their passengers will enjoy a boutique-style, world-class terminal that is digital-first, efficient and full of the latest passenger conveniences, technology and amenities, such as:

• 10 gates, of which nine will accommodate widebody aircraft
• State-of-the-art automated baggage system, customs/border control facilities, and the latest TSA screening technologies
• The longest departures curb at JFK, with airline-branded passenger drop-off zones
• Up to five airline lounges, in addition to a new arrivals lounge
• Digital concierge services
• A new ground transportation center and shared taxi stand with JFK International Airport’s Terminal 5
• A curated collection of New York City-inspired artwork featuring local and international artists, curated by Public Art Fund in partnership with JMP and the Port Authority
• Sustainably sourced building materials, rooftop solar power, and energy efficient systems and operating practices throughout the new terminal
• Sustainability certifications for LEED (silver or gold), Envision and SITES underway

JMP expects to meet or exceed the Port Authority’s goal of 30 percent MWBE participation and create opportunities to foster and grow local business enterprises (LBEs) through the development.

John F. Kennedy International Airport, Terminal 6, rendering

Transforming JFK Into a World-Class Global Gateway

In January 2017, the JFK Vision Plan was announced to transform John F. Kennedy International Airport into the world-class airport that New Yorkers deserve. The vision plan provides a strategic framework for the Port Authority and its partners to completely redevelop, modify and expand existing facilities and infrastructure. The new Terminal 6 builds on the momentum of the other three major components of the airport’s transformation already underway. The $9.5 billion development of a state-of-the-art New Terminal One that will anchor the airport’s south side broke ground in September 2022. The $1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta Air Lines and JFK International Air Terminal, is now under construction. Additionally, the $400 million modernization and expansion of Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, which operates the terminal, and British Airways was substantially completed in November 2022.

All the privately financed terminal projects combined with the Port Authority’s roadway, parking and infrastructure projects represent a $19 billion transformation of JFK International Airport and an extraordinary series of public-private partnerships. The Port Authority capital investment of $3.9 billion is leveraging private investment at a rate of nearly four to one when taking into account the full private investment of more than $15 bn that has been committed to the four projects comprising the full JFK redevelopment program.

Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.