Inside JFK’s new Terminal 6, set to open early subsequent 12 months

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 considered one of solely two media retailers that bought a tour of the brand new terminal, which might be a significant step ahead for airport infrastructure within the Northeast.

We additionally bought our first take a look at a newly unveiled artwork set up that can greet passengers as they arrive on the airport. You’ll be able to see what that spectacular mural will seem like within the illustration under.

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 remodeled JFK Airport and brand-new Terminal 6

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs JFK, is in the course of a $19 billion venture to rework the airport. When it is completed, there might 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 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 part of the venture will develop into a part of an expanded Terminal 6. The second part is anticipated to open in 2028.

The brand new terminal might be a whopping 1.2 million sq. toes and supply 10 new gates, a number of of which might be constructed to deal with wide-body jets. You will get a good suggestion of the scale of the house while you look out over the brand new central hub of the brand new terminal.

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

The press launch continued: “Greater than 1,200 native employees are presently on web site to make sure a clean opening for greater than a dozen carriers that might 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 sit up for 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 characteristic one of many longest departures curbs at JFK, with airline-branded passenger drop-off zones.

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

Ultimately, it will likely 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 large welcome corridor, the Grand Corridor, which can characteristic a large skylight and 100,000 sq. toes of New York Metropolis-inspired buying and eating retailers.

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

You’ll be able to inform how superb it should ultimately be. Listed below are some renderings of what the ultimate product may seem like.

Terminal 6 could 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 case you’re an airline, there’s nonetheless time to seize the house).

It is laborious to inform within the images under, however that is the place Lufthansa is opening a large new lounge in Terminal 6, which could have a devoted entrance by way of escalators. Whereas we do not but have all the main points, we anticipate it should embody 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 considered 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; it will likely be reachable by way of a set of stairs you possibly can see within the photograph under.

Within the photograph above, you possibly can see that the left facet is the place you will stroll towards Terminal 5 as soon as building is full.

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

Terminal 6 and JetBlue’s Terminal 5 will truly share a customs corridor. You’ll be able to see the images of the brand new customs space within the gallery under; it should characteristic 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 posh system of conveyer belts and scanned by robots.

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

Backside line

When completed, the remodeled Terminal 6 might be a sight to behold. From the dramatic skylights to the huge Grand Corridor, the biometric screening and bag drops to the robotic baggage handlers, this airport terminal might 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 completed.

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