JFK Airport set for $10 billion renovation

Plans to improve JFK International Airport and the surrounding roads and rail system were recently announced by Gov. Cuomo. And these plans don’t just call for fixing some drywall or filling a pothole here and there, either, they seek to completely transform and update the international transportation hub.

This transformation is projected to cost about $10 billion. $7 billion of that total will be coming from airlines that operate there, such as Delta and American, while $1 billion will be provided by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. $1.5 billion to $2 billion of state funding will also be provided exclusively for work on the surrounding roads, which will begin immediately, according to CNN Money.

The airport will see some of its newer terminals expanded while older terminals are redeveloped and relocated. According to designboom.com, on-airport roadways will be redesigned into a ring road configuration for better vehicular access and parking lots will become more centralized and larger, offering both short-term and long-term parking options.

Beyond just expanding the terminals and making the airport as a whole more navigable, a focus on improving the airport’s amenities is also a key component of the overall plan. Fine dining options, duty-free shops, and conference and meeting room facilities will be added. Safety features will also be improved with the addition of facial recognition technology and video tracking software.

JFK Airport served 60 million passengers in 2016 and that number is only set to grow. With its current setup, JFK will reach its passenger capacity by the mid 2020’s. By 2050, the airport is expected to serve 100 million passengers a year, but there has not yet been a timeframe announced for the expansion and renovation project nor has it been determined what the new passenger capacity of the renovated airport will be.

Image courtesy of Office of the Governor of New York.

A terminal modernization program can be a complicated and expensive task that airport operators may be hesitant to undertake unless necessitated by demands for increased capacity. This is the first post in our series examining why airport operators should bother to upgrade their facilities, even if capacity isn’t forcing the issue.