New York City’s largest airport is undergoing major renovations.
John F. Kennedy International Airport broke ground on its new Terminal 1 in September 2022. The 2.4 million square foot facility will be built on the site of the former Terminals 1, 2 and 3, with the first facility expected to open in 2026.
A private consortium is investing $9.5 billion to modernize the new terminal, with a focus on safety, efficiency and customer experience. This is part of a total investment of $19 billion by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to upgrade the city’s largest airport.
And with JFK Airport considered one of North America’s most prominent international gateways, there has never been a better time to do so as the industry anticipates record numbers of travelers.
JFK is served by more than 70 airlines and served approximately 62 million passengers in 2023. The new terminal is expected to increase passenger capacity, with airlines such as Philippine Airlines, Air France and Italian low-cost carrier Neos pledging to fly there.
A rendering of the new Terminal 1 open space. New terminal 1
Developers hope the future state-of-the-art terminal will become a Skytrax five-star airport terminal. This is a feat that no other airport in the United States had achieved until New York’s LaGuardia Airport finally shed its infamous “Lagarbage” nickname and built a new and improved Terminal B. 2023.
But to reach that status, JFK will need to overcome many long-standing problems, including overcrowding and traffic congestion. In September, InsureMyTrip researchers analyzed Department of Transportation data and found that JFK was one of the airports with the highest number of flight cancellations in 2024.
Business Insider, along with other media, toured SITA’s pre-production test center on Long Island to get a behind-the-scenes look at the technology that will be installed in the new terminal to address the pain points of international travelers.
This includes facial recognition boarding, AI-powered gate systems, and air traffic technology that reduces the chance of near-misses. If this technology works as promised, I’m looking forward to taking to the skies.
Customers can travel using their faces
Facial recognition has been installed on some international flights across the country, including at JFK Airport’s renovated Terminal 8. In March, BI used biometrics to board a British Airways flight to London.
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The new terminal hopes to mainstream facial recognition throughout the 23-gate facility.
The “e-gate” technology seemed easy to use, even for non-tech savvy travelers. Travelers simply register for the service using their passport at check-in. Data is only stored for 24 hours, so travelers must perform this step every time they fly.
JFK developers demonstrating e-gate technology. Taylor Raines/Business Insider
“E-Gate means you don’t need a boarding pass or ID to board an aircraft,” SITA developers said during the tour.
The technology has an accuracy of about 99% and can distinguish identical twins, according to its developers. The company acknowledged that not all travelers are comfortable with their faces being used as identification, and said there will also be a manual queue at boarding.
Meanwhile, the enhanced TSA will be equipped with new biometric and touchless technology to optimize wait times. Other terminals at JFK already have similar face-based security features in place.
Concessions will be first class.
While JFK likely won’t offer free movie theaters or butterfly gardens like Singapore’s famous Changi Airport, the new terminal will boast high ceilings, natural light, and plenty of retail space, lounges, and restaurants.
A representative for the project told BI that no brands have been announced yet and that what’s in the renderings is just a placeholder. New terminal 1
Still, if the revamped Terminal 8 is any indication, customers will have access to luxury and local brands representing each of New York City’s boroughs, as well as swanky new airline lounges that may meet the desired five-star status. , you can expect “world class” service.
For example, Skytrax five-star airline Korean Air plans to open one of its largest lounges, with a kitchen and bar and panoramic views of the airfield.
New JFK aims for less disruption, safer operations
Developers have demonstrated technology aimed at ensuring a high level of safety and traffic management, especially as a flurry of near-misses rocked the flyer.
One is a state-of-the-art lamp tower from technology provider ADB Safegate. This is where agents work to efficiently move aircraft around taxis and parking lots. This is separate from the federally operated air traffic control towers that guide planes onto and off the runways.
The technology includes a “virtual control tower” with screens that display live camera feeds across the ramp. This helps in low visibility situations and improves awareness.
“We have cameras that allow controllers to be interested in a particular aircraft or a particular area of the airport, and they can zoom in and zoom out to see the area of interest,” said Taha Zahir, ADB SafeGate project manager. spoke to the media during the tour.
The technology also includes unique “e-strips” that allow controllers to manage flight delays and more easily prioritize planes. LaGuardia was an example of an on-screen loop. Taylor Raines/Business Insider
Another ADB SafeGate technology is a parking assist device that allows aircraft to dock at the gate in virtually any weather conditions. Zaheer said this is especially useful during thunderstorms when wing walkers have to evacuate the tarmac and leave fully loaded planes waiting several meters away from the gate.
Zahir said the docking system can handle everything up to the giant Airbus A380 and has already proven its efficiency at the existing JFK terminal and several other airports, including LaGuardia and Los Angeles. said.
Dock Aid shows how regional jets are parked at the gate. Zahir said the technology identifies each plane by its engine. Taylor Raines/Business Insider
Complementing gate and ramp tower technology is ADB Safegate’s AI-powered Apron Manager, which can predict aircraft on-time performance and improve aircraft turn times. This means passengers will be able to depart earlier than before.
“We have identified 25 to 30 operations that every flight must go through from arrival to departure,” Zaheer said, citing refueling and baggage loading. “We know exactly what’s going on with the aircraft.”
