The final phase of the John F. Kennedy Airport transformation has begun with a groundbreaking for the new $4.2 billion Terminal 6.
The partially privately funded terminal will feature 10 new gates, nine of which are gates for wide-body jets. The construction will allow JetBlue to expand from its current home in Terminal 5.
The 1.2-million-square-foot terminal will open its first gates in 2026, with all construction to be completed by 2028.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the state Port Authority celebrated New York state’s commitment to transforming the airport with new state-of-the-art technology.
"We are here after 14 extraordinary months of announcement, after announcement, after announcement to show we have the courage, we have the heart to continue pushing New York state forward,” Hochul said. “This project today is the symbol of that, and I could not be prouder to be here."
The new terminal is a public-private partnership between the Port Authority and JFK Millennium Partners, a consortium which includes RXR Realty of Uniondale, Vantage Airport Group, American Triple 1 Partners and JetBlue Airways.
“I've taken this airline all over the world and it is incredible. It'll be as vibrant as New York itself, this terminal,” Hochul said. “This is a showcase. This is an opportunity to tell that story."
The Port Authority will spend $130 million in capital funding to enable infrastructure for the new terminal.
Hochul said Terminal 6 will create 4,000 jobs, including 1,800 jobs in union construction.
