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 alternative Terminal A.
Out of the a number of megaprojects which can be underway, few are greater than JFK’s Terminal 6, slated to open within the first half of subsequent yr. The group behind the $4.2 billion mission invited us to affix a tour of the energetic building website. We liked the behind-the-scenes have 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 might 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 might be loads to maintain individuals entertained, together with a standout record 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 known as the Sundrome. Constructed initially for Nationwide Airways and designed by I.M. Pei, it opened in 1969 and was ultimately demolished in 2011.
Since then, as an alternative of a purposeful 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 in command of the upcoming Terminal 6. That operational overlap is handy since Terminal 6 will ultimately swallow up Terminal 7’s footprint.
Large-Image Terminal Design
As a result of there isn’t a lot area between roadway and runway at this a part of the airport, the brand new Terminal 6 has a comparatively small area to work with. Consequently it would characteristic a modest 10 gates, although practically all of them are designed and optimized for widebody plane.
The terminal might 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 number of the long-haul worldwide airways that transfer to Terminal 6.
Touring the Terminal
We lately obtained the possibility to tour the Terminal 6 building website, getting into it from the facet of the currently-operating Terminal 7.
We’ll stroll you thru our essential takeaways from the tour, following the stream of departing passengers.
The pre-security parts of terminal prioritize performance, with a design that struck us as glossy although not significantly distinctive or memorable.
To be truthful, there isn’t a lot area for the entrance facade to make a daring architectural assertion. There’s so much packed into the realm 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 greater ache factors of your common airport terminal, T6 options one of many largest departures curbs amongst JFK’s terminals, with a purpose of stopping automobile congestion within the drop-off zone.
As a result of there isn’t a lot area 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 enable 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 among Terminal 6’s essential 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 affords sneak peeks of the ramp. Having the ability to see the plane and get enthusiastic about flying *earlier than* safety drudgery is considered one of many refined 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 area 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 components 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 out in direction of runway 13L/31R. That runway isn’t all the time in use, however there’ll nonetheless be loads of attention-grabbing plane taxiing by even when 13L/31R isn’t serving as an energetic 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 might be operated by particular airways, together with Lufthansa group, Aer Lingus, and Cathay Pacific. In Cathay’s case, its Terminal 6 lounge might be its first-ever lounge at JFK. The Lufthansa lounge will provide boarding instantly from the lounge, and the Cathay lounge might as properly. One of many terminal’s lounges might 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 might be its deliberate arrivals lounge, positioned within the arrivals space after inbound passengers move by means of customs and immigration. It is going to be an area the place arriving passengers can seize a bathe and a chunk to eat earlier than heading into the 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 study extra specifics about this distinctive idea as we get nearer to the opening date.
A Highlight on Native Taste
Certainly, the eating scene is considered one of Terminal 6’s largest strengths. Many US airport terminals give attention to nationwide chains, however JFK Millennium Companions has gone out of their approach to recruit NYC-area hometown favorites, together with some which have by no means had airport places earlier than. These embody “high-quality brining” rooster sandwichery Fuku, Americana mainstay P.J. Clarke’s, Di Fara Pizzeria, For 5 espresso, and a Brooklyn Brewery taproom, to call only a few.
Execution is the make-or-break issue in relation to meals high quality in airports, for the reason that logistics could be rather more sophisticated than at an in-city location. However with the slate of manufacturers Terminal 6 has lined up to this point, we’ll nonetheless plan on coming hungry.
A Deal with Know-how and Sustainability
Passengers will admire cutting-edge tech at a number of factors of their journey by means of the terminal, together with state-of-the-art screening applied sciences on the TSA checkpoint. One characteristic we’re significantly enthusiastic about is the design of the gate areas. As a substitute of the same old monitor or two that you simply typically need to squint to learn, the complete space round every gate might be an enormous show, with bigger textual content and in addition distinctive imagery.
Behind the scenes, there’s a main give attention to sustainable operations. The largest carbon culprits at most airport terminals are the swarms of inefficient floor assist automobiles. In a serious optimistic deviation from the norm, Terminal 6 will characteristic fully-electric floor assist automobiles. To additional increase effectivity, as an alternative of every airline working its personal floor automobiles, all of the terminal’s airways will use a typical pool of automobiles.
The terminal’s design additionally makes use of rooftop photo voltaic arrays, superior clear insulation to scale back warmth loss by means of the big skylights, and sustainably-sourced constructing supplies. LEED certification is underway, however the designers’ purpose is that the terminal earns LEED silver or gold standing.
The Airways of Terminal 6
Up to now there are 15 airways which have introduced plans to function out of Terminal 6. General it’s a powerful 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 few of the airways listed under 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.
Probably the largest airline-related Terminal 6 information has to do with an airline that doesn’t presently 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 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 section, which is able to embody six gates, will open within the first half of 2026. Last completion for the terminal is slated for 2028. The neighboring Terminal 7 will stay in operation initially, although it would ultimately 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 under) might be related each pre- and post-security to Terminal 5 (seen on the best facet of the picture under).
If all of the photographs on this story aren’t sufficient for you, take a look at this video with renderings of the ultimate terminal, courtesy of JFK Millennium Companions:
We will’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 area (when it comes to each JFK slots and T6 gate area) for United to additional develop its JFK operations within the coming years?
- Bank card lounges have been all the fad, particularly prior to now few years. Amex, Chase, and Capital One have lounges in JFK Terminal 4. However they’re recognized for important capability points, and in addition aren’t simply accessible in the event you’re flying out of one other terminal. Is it potential {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 grow to be a Precedence Cross lounge.
- As soon as this section of terminal building settles down, JFK can have terminals one, 4, 5, six, and eight, however no terminals two, three, or seven. Will there ultimately 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 in addition 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 automobiles, particularly in occasions of elevated demand or irregular operations?
Supply hyperlink
