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 one in every of solely two media shops that received a tour of the brand new terminal, which will probably be a significant step ahead for airport infrastructure within the Northeast.

We additionally received our first have a look at a newly unveiled artwork set up that may greet passengers as they arrive on the airport. You possibly can see what that spectacular mural will appear like 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 international 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 carried out, there will probably 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 workforce 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 finally get torn down. In its footprint, one other 4 gates for the second section of the challenge will change into a part of an expanded Terminal 6. The second section is predicted to open in 2028.

The brand new terminal will probably be a whopping 1.2 million sq. toes and supply 10 new gates, a number of of which will probably be constructed to deal with wide-body jets. You will get a good suggestion of the dimensions of the area if 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 dwell testing the constructing,” JFK Millennium Companions mentioned in a press launch.

The press launch continued: “Greater than 1,200 native staff are at the moment on website to make sure a clean opening for greater than a dozen carriers that will probably 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 stay up for the brand new terminal’s digital-first visitor expertise, with a large light-filled corridor stuffed with digital billboards and blond wooden accents.

The departures space will characteristic 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’s going to have extra logical entry and exit spots, in addition to quick access to 2 completely different AirTrain stations.

In the long run, it is going to be lower than a five-minute common stroll from the TSA safety checkpoint exit to all gates.

As soon as via safety, it is possible for you to to enter the enormous welcome corridor, the Grand Corridor, which can characteristic a large skylight and 100,000 sq. toes of New York Metropolis-inspired purchasing and eating shops.

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

You possibly can inform how wonderful it’s going to finally be. Listed here are some renderings of what the ultimate product would possibly appear like.

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 in the event you’re an airline, there’s nonetheless time to seize the area).

It is exhausting 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 small print, we anticipate it’s going to embrace devoted Lufthansa first-class, business-class and Senator lounges.

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

Aer Lingus has additionally confirmed that it’ll have a devoted lounge in Terminal 6; it is going to 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 will stroll towards Terminal 5 as soon as development is full.

The brand new terminal will probably be related each land- and airside to the adjoining Terminal 5, which is residence to JetBlue Airways’ JFK hub. By the point the challenge is finished, you’ll shuttle between terminals 5 and 6 for purchasing and even lounge hopping.

Terminal 6 and JetBlue’s Terminal 5 will really share a customs corridor. You possibly can see the photographs of the brand new customs space within the gallery beneath; it’s going to characteristic wide-open areas and pure gentle 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 via a fancy system of conveyer belts and scanned by robots.

One other factor to notice in regards to 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 will probably 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 will probably 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 carried out.

For extra in regards to the revamped JFK, make sure to take a look at the most recent beneath.