Governor Cuomo Plans To Transform JFK International Airport For The 21st Century

Last week Governor Andrew M. Cuomo presented a vision plan to transform JFK International Airport into an airport equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century and “worthy of the State of New York”. Based on the recommendations of the Governor’s Airport Advisory Panel, the recently unveiled vision plan lays out a comprehensive, airport-wide framework to refresh today’s tired and over-stretched offering.

While the redevelopment focusses on three key areas including renovation, improved road access and increasing mass rail transit, the airport has the potential to drive up to US$7 billion in private investment. The on-airport transformation focuses on six core areas:

• Interconnect terminals by expanding newer terminals and redeveloping/relocating older terminals
• Redesign the on-airport roadways to evolve into a “ring road” configuration, to allow for easier and quicker access to all of JFK’s terminals, including for taxis, ride-sharing and for-hire vehicles.
• Centralize and expand parking lots within the “ring road” layout with clear short-term and long-term parking options.
• Ensure world-class amenities – including fine dining, duty-free shopping, best-in-class retail, and conference and meeting room facilities – a process that began last month with the groundbreaking of the new TWA Flight Center Hotel.
• Expand taxiways to reduce ground delays and add new flight slots to accommodate the airports relentlessly growing passenger demand.
• Implement state-of-the-art security technology, including regular reviews with third-party experts to update security to the future global best practices such as facial recognition and video tracking software that are currently being incorporated across New York’s infrastructure developments.

“New York never backs down from a challenge, rather we step up to take on the ambitious projects that are often thought to be impossible. That’s exactly what transforming JFK International Airport is all about,” Governor Cuomo said.

While the airport currently handles 60million passengers a year, the number of passengers at JFK is expected to grow dramatically over the next several decades – to 75 million by 2030 and 100 million passengers by 2050. Therefore the plan includes creating a Set of Standards for Amenities. These amenities should include fine dining, duty-free shopping, best-in-class retail, and conference and meeting room facilities.

This process began last month with the groundbreaking of the new TWA Flight Center Hotel. Last month, Governor Cuomo, together with New York-based hotel investment firm MCR, broke ground on the redevelopment of the legendary TWA Flight Center at JFK International Airport.

Featuring LEED design, the hotel complex will be set back on either side of the terminal, situated and designed to defer to the historic landmark. Hotel guests and passengers from every terminal will be able to reach the TWA Hotel via the AirTrain as well as through the iconic Saarinen passenger tubes that connect directly to Terminal 5. The hotel will contain 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a 10,000 square foot observation deck where guests can watch planes take off and land, and eight food and beverage outlets including the revived Ambassador’s Club, Lisbon Lounge and Paris Cafe. Construction will be managed by Turner Construction Company.