Inside JFK’s new Terminal 6, set to open early subsequent yr

The transformation of New York Metropolis’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) continues to surge forward. This week, the airport reached a considerable milestone when the brand-new Terminal 6 completed its curtain partitions and enclosed the brand new terminal for the primary time.

It is a main milestone, and the airport is on observe to carry a grand opening this coming January — forward of schedule.

TPG was certainly one of solely two media retailers that acquired a tour of the brand new terminal, which can be a significant step ahead for airport infrastructure within the Northeast.

We additionally acquired our first have a look at a newly unveiled artwork set up that may greet passengers as they arrive on the airport. You may see what that spectacular mural will appear to be within the illustration beneath.

The 12,000 sq. foot “JFK World Panorama” is a custom-designed, 3D ombre art work that includes iconic New York Metropolis-based imagery and flight routes illustrating world connectivity.

A reworked JFK Airport and brand-new Terminal 6

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs JFK, is in the midst of a $19 billion challenge to rework the airport. When it is accomplished, there can be a number of brand-new terminals, in addition to new roads and ramps to make attending to and from the airport a lot simpler.

The staff behind the fabulous Terminal B at New York Metropolis’s completely redone LaGuardia Airport (LGA) can also be constructing Terminal 6 at JFK.

JFK Millennium Companions gave TPG a tour of the brand new Terminal 6 and advised us about how Terminal 7 subsequent door will ultimately get torn down. In its footprint, one other 4 gates for the second section of the challenge will grow to be a part of an expanded Terminal 6. The second section is predicted to open in 2028.

The brand new terminal can be a whopping 1.2 million sq. ft and provide 10 new gates, a number of of which can be constructed to deal with wide-body jets. You will get a good suggestion of the dimensions of the house once you look out over the brand new central hub of the brand new terminal.

“This success helps different upcoming milestones, together with including everlasting energy and reside testing the constructing,” JFK Millennium Companions mentioned in a press launch.

The press launch continued: “Greater than 1,200 native staff are presently on web site to make sure a clean opening for greater than a dozen carriers that can be relocating to the brand new terminal, amongst them: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, ANA, Austrian Airways, Avianca, Brussels Airways, Cathay Pacific, Condor, Frontier, JetBlue, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Norse Atlantic, and SWISS.”

The brand new Terminal 6 at JFK

Starting at departures, passengers can look ahead to the brand new terminal’s digital-first visitor expertise, with a large light-filled corridor full of digital billboards and blond wooden accents.

The departures space will function one of many longest departures curbs at JFK, with airline-branded passenger drop-off zones.

They’re utterly reconstructing the roadway system in entrance of the terminal, too. It should have extra logical entry and exit spots, in addition to quick access to 2 completely different AirTrain stations.

Ultimately, will probably be lower than a five-minute common stroll from the TSA safety checkpoint exit to all gates.

As soon as by means of safety, it is possible for you to to enter the enormous welcome corridor, the Grand Corridor, which is able to function a large skylight and 100,000 sq. ft of New York Metropolis-inspired procuring and eating retailers.

It is an awe-inspiring house, even when it nonetheless seems like a development zone.

You may inform how wonderful it can ultimately be. Listed here are some renderings of what the ultimate product may appear to be.

Terminal 6 can have 5 airline lounges airside, plus an arrivals lounge. JFK Millennium advised me there’s not but a confirmed airline to host the first-ever arrivals lounge at JFK Airport (so when you’re an airline, there’s nonetheless time to seize the house).

It is laborious to inform within the photographs beneath, however that is the place Lufthansa is opening a large new lounge in Terminal 6, which can have a devoted entrance by way of escalators. Whereas we do not but have all the main points, we anticipate it can embrace devoted Lufthansa first-class, business-class and Senator lounges.

Cathay Pacific goes to open its first-ever JFK lounge on this house, too. An enormous announcement about certainly one of that lounge’s cool options ought to come quickly.

Aer Lingus has additionally confirmed that it’s going to have a devoted lounge in Terminal 6; will probably be reachable by way of a set of stairs you may see within the photograph beneath.

Within the photograph above, you may see that the left aspect is the place you may stroll towards Terminal 5 as soon as development is full.

The brand new terminal can be linked each land- and airside to the adjoining Terminal 5, which is dwelling to JetBlue Airways’ JFK hub. By the point the challenge is completed, you can trip between terminals 5 and 6 for procuring and even lounge hopping.

Terminal 6 and JetBlue’s Terminal 5 will really share a customs corridor. You may see the photographs of the brand new customs space within the gallery beneath; it can function wide-open areas and pure mild coming from the partitions and ceiling above.

The bags system is spectacular. It begins with biometric bag drops at check-in. From there, baggage will get carried by means of a fancy system of conveyer belts and scanned by robots.

One other factor to notice concerning the challenge is its environmental focus. The terminal makes use of sustainably sourced constructing supplies, rooftop solar energy, and energy-efficient programs and working practices all through. JFK Millennium Companions advised me it’s aiming to have LEED Silver or Gold certification for the challenge.

Backside line

When completed, the reworked Terminal 6 can be a sight to behold. From the dramatic skylights to the large Grand Corridor, the biometric screening and bag drops to the robotic baggage handlers, this airport terminal can be fairly a revelation.

It might find yourself being one of many nation’s finest airport terminals — and can give the opposite LGA and Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) an actual run for finest tri-state airport as soon as it is all accomplished.

For extra concerning the revamped JFK, make sure you try the most recent beneath.