In the end, New York’s main airports are getting some much-needed upgrades. We’ve already written about a few of them, like LaGuardia’s rebuilt Terminal B, JFK’s upcoming new Terminal One, and Newark’s substitute Terminal A.
Out of the a number of megaprojects which might be underway, few are larger than JFK’s Terminal 6, slated to open within the first half of subsequent yr. The workforce behind the $4.2 billion venture invited us to affix a tour of the lively development web site. We cherished the behind-the-scenes take a look at a serious terminal coming collectively, and we got here away with a greater understanding of what flyers can count on as soon as it’s accomplished.
There will likely be a HUGE passenger expertise increase in contrast with JFK’s older terminals. T6 will showcase JFK’s standing as a world airport, internet hosting long-haul worldwide airways from a number of continents together with just a few home and low-cost airways. The constructing will sport loads of high-tech options, some for the sake of improved passenger expertise, and others boosting the sustainability and effectivity of behind-the-scenes operations. Importantly there will likely be lots to maintain individuals entertained, together with a standout checklist of lounges, outposts of a number of well-known NYC eateries, and a few nice planespotting potential.
Learn on for extra of what you may count on when JFK’s Terminal 6 opens in just a few months.
Setting the Stage For the New Terminal 6
JFK has hosted a number of iconic terminals over its storied historical past. The prior iteration of Terminal 6 was referred to as the Sundrome. Constructed initially for Nationwide Airways and designed by I.M. Pei, it opened in 1969 and was finally demolished in 2011.
Since then, as a substitute of a practical Terminal 6, there’s simply been a spot between JetBlue-dominated Terminal 5 and the multi-airline hodgepodge of Terminal 7:
Terminal 7 (on the left facet of the picture above) is operated by JFK Millennium Companions, the identical entity accountable for the upcoming Terminal 6. That operational overlap is handy since Terminal 6 will finally swallow up Terminal 7’s footprint.
Huge-Image Terminal Design
As a result of there isn’t a lot house between roadway and runway at this a part of the airport, the brand new Terminal 6 has a comparatively small house to work with. In consequence it would characteristic a modest 10 gates, although practically all of them are designed and optimized for widebody plane.
The terminal will likely be related each pre- and post-security to JetBlue’s Terminal 5. We marvel if that proximity might sweeten the prospect of codeshares between JetBlue and a few of the long-haul worldwide airways that transfer to Terminal 6.
Touring the Terminal
We just lately received the possibility to tour the Terminal 6 development web site, coming into it from the facet of the currently-operating Terminal 7.
We’ll stroll you thru our major takeaways from the tour, following the circulation of departing passengers.
The pre-security parts of terminal prioritize performance, with a design that struck us as modern although not notably distinctive or memorable.
To be honest, there isn’t a lot house for the entrance facade to make a daring architectural assertion. There’s lots packed into the world in entrance of the terminal, together with three ranges of roadways, a floor transit middle, the AirTrain line, and a parking storage.
Addressing one of many larger ache factors of your common airport terminal, T6 options one of many largest departures curbs amongst JFK’s terminals, with a objective of stopping automotive congestion within the drop-off zone.
As a result of there isn’t a lot house within the terminal’s footprint between the roadway and the ramp, the check-in space has to make environment friendly use of restricted space. The terminal’s check-in areas are totally versatile, with screens that permit completely different airways to make the most of any given desk at completely different occasions. It’s not a novel idea, however its one which T6 leans on extra closely than most different terminals we’ve seen.
One in all Terminal 6’s major design strengths is its beneficiant use of pure lighting. All through the constructing there are a set of huge round skylights that can dazzle passengers with daylight.
One other cool design characteristic: the stroll as much as the TSA checkpoint provides sneak peeks of the ramp. Having the ability to see the plane and get enthusiastic about flying *earlier than* safety drudgery is one among many delicate ways in which T6’s design impresses with its thoughtfulness.
In our opinion, the terminal’s design shines brightest within the post-security transit lounge. The spotlight is the epic central house you descend into proper after the safety checkpoint. Even in its present in-progress state, we might inform how nice this part of the terminal will look.
Right here’s a rendering of the completed product, which features a few of the sculptural parts that can enliven the passenger expertise:
As a result of the terminal has solely ten gates, you’ll by no means have a protracted stroll from safety to your gate. Massive components of the terminal provide floor-to-ceiling views of the ramp. The terminal appears to be like out in direction of runway 13L/31R. That runway isn’t at all times in use, however there’ll nonetheless be loads of fascinating plane taxiing by even when 13L/31R isn’t serving as an lively runway.
The T6 Lounge Panorama
Within the picture above you get a glimpse of some seating a degree up from the primary departures degree. That’s one of many premium lounges deliberate for Terminal 6. A couple of will likely be operated by particular airways, together with Lufthansa group, Aer Lingus, and Cathay Pacific. In Cathay’s case, its Terminal 6 lounge will likely be its first-ever lounge at JFK. The Lufthansa lounge will provide boarding straight from the lounge, and the Cathay lounge might as properly. One of many terminal’s lounges will likely be a terminal-operated frequent one for the airways that don’t have their very own devoted Terminal 6 lounge.
The terminals most revolutionary lounge will likely be its deliberate arrivals lounge, positioned within the arrivals space after inbound passengers cross via customs and immigration. It is going to be an area the place arriving passengers can seize a bathe and a chew to eat earlier than heading into town, serving to them get a extra productive head begin to their day. That lounge will open with one of many later phases of the terminal’s rollout, and we’re to be taught extra specifics about this distinctive idea as we get nearer to the opening date.
A Highlight on Native Taste
Surely, the eating scene is one among Terminal 6’s greatest strengths. Many US airport terminals concentrate on nationwide chains, however JFK Millennium Companions has gone out of their technique to recruit NYC-area hometown favorites, together with some which have by no means had airport places earlier than. These embody “nice brining” hen sandwichery Fuku, Americana mainstay P.J. Clarke’s, Di Fara Pizzeria, For 5 espresso, and a Brooklyn Brewery taproom, to call just some.
Execution is the make-or-break issue relating to meals high quality in airports, for the reason that logistics may be far more difficult than at an in-city location. However with the slate of manufacturers Terminal 6 has lined up to date, we’ll nonetheless plan on coming hungry.
A Concentrate on Know-how and Sustainability
Passengers will respect cutting-edge tech at a number of factors of their journey via the terminal, together with state-of-the-art screening applied sciences on the TSA checkpoint. One characteristic we’re notably enthusiastic about is the design of the gate areas. As a substitute of the same old monitor or two that you simply generally need to squint to learn, your entire space round every gate will likely be a large show, with bigger textual content and in addition distinctive imagery.
Behind the scenes, there’s a main concentrate on sustainable operations. The largest carbon culprits at most airport terminals are the swarms of inefficient floor assist autos. In a serious constructive deviation from the norm, Terminal 6 will characteristic fully-electric floor assist autos. To additional increase effectivity, as a substitute of every airline working its personal floor autos, all of the terminal’s airways will use a standard pool of autos.
The terminal’s design additionally makes use of rooftop photo voltaic arrays, superior clear insulation to scale back warmth loss via the massive skylights, and sustainably-sourced constructing supplies. LEED certification is underway, however the designers’ objective is that the terminal earns LEED silver or gold standing.
The Airways of Terminal 6
To date there are 15 airways which have introduced plans to function out of Terminal 6. Total it’s a formidable number of carriers, spanning a number of classes together with long-haul European airways, Asian airways, a Center Japanese airline, together with Frontier and Norse representing short- and long-haul low-cost carriers respectively. A number of the airways listed beneath will transfer to Terminal 6 from day one, whereas some will make the transfer later within the terminal’s staged rollout.
IcelandAir and Avianca had been essentially the most recently-announced additions, and aren’t but included within the graphic above.
Presumably the most important airline-related Terminal 6 information has to do with an airline that doesn’t at the moment function at JFK in any respect. United Airways left the airport years in the past to consolidate at its Newark hub, however has been eyeing a return. Earlier this yr it introduced a “Blue Sky” partnership with JetBlue that features a few JFK slots for United beginning in 2027. It appears to be like like it would function from Terminal 6, which is able to give it good proximity to JetBlue’s JFK operations.
The Timeline
Terminal 6 will open in phases. The primary part, which is able to embody six gates, will open within the first half of 2026. Closing completion for the terminal is slated for 2028. The neighboring Terminal 7 will stay in operation initially, although it would finally get decommissioned and its footprint taken over by Terminal 6 because it grows. The ultimate model of the terminal (seen within the left facet of the picture beneath) will likely be related each pre- and post-security to Terminal 5 (seen on the appropriate facet of the picture beneath).
If all of the pictures on this story aren’t sufficient for you, try this video with renderings of the ultimate terminal, courtesy of JFK Millennium Companions:
We are able to’t wait to see the finished terminal ourselves! Till then, we’ll finish this story with some forward-looking questions on Terminal 6’s future:
If the beginning of United and JetBlue’s partnership goes properly, is there sufficient house (by way of each JFK slots and T6 gate house) for United to additional broaden its JFK operations within the coming years?
Bank card lounges have been all the trend, particularly prior to now few years. Amex, Chase, and Capital One have lounges in JFK Terminal 4. However they’re identified for vital capability points, and in addition aren’t simply accessible if you happen to’re flying out of one other terminal. Is it doable {that a} bank card lounge might take up one of many unclaimed T6 lounge spots? One other chance is that one of many already-announced lounges (together with the common-use lounge that can initially be operated by the terminal authority) might change into a Precedence Go lounge.
As soon as this part of terminal development settles down, JFK can have terminals one, 4, 5, six, and eight, however no terminals two, three, or seven. Will there finally be a re-numbering of the terminals? It isn’t clear {that a} re-numbering could be well worth the work, however till then the absence of these three numbered terminals is a bit conspicuous.
The terminal division at JFK additionally doesn’t clearly observe airline alliances. Terminal 6, for instance, can have fairly just a few Star Alliance operators, but additionally oneworld participant Cathay Pacific and a few home carriers that aren’t within the three main worldwide alliances (Frontier and JetBlue). Because the years go on, how may airways shuffle between JFK’s terminals? Specifically, the brand new terminal 1 additionally hosts a grab-bag of worldwide airways, and we might conceivably see some airways transfer from T1 to T6 or vice versa.
How will the terminal mediate airways’ competing calls for for the shared pool of floor autos, particularly in occasions of elevated demand or irregular operations?
Hangin’ Out Between the Runways at SEA!
