JetBlue TrueBlue - JetBlue hopes to use landmark TWA terminal 5

JetBlue hopes to use landmark TWA terminal

NEW YORK (AP) — JetBlue Airways wants to use the landmark TWA terminal at Kennedy Airport as part of an expansion in the airline's operations, according to a published report.

The airline has proposed constructing a new terminal behind the historic building and using the old terminal's passenger bridges to link the two, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Preservationists and architects have sought to preserve the original use of the terminal, which was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1962 and designated a city landmark in 1994.

The Sourcebook of Contemporary North American Architecture once said the building's "curving contours uncannily suggest a bird in flight." It has been out of use since TWA left in October 2001.

Neither JetBlue nor the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, think the building can be modernized for use as a fully operational terminal, but the airline could use it for a small part of its operations, the Times said.

"We would like to be able to embrace the Saarinen building and make it part of the JetBlue image," Richard Smyth, vice president of redevelopment for JetBlue, told the Times.

The airline hopes to triple the number of flights it runs out of the airport, currently between 75 and 80 per day, the Times said.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/420594/L/

http://www.lightningfield.com/extra/0103twa/



[This message has been edited by 777 (edited 10-04-2003).]

Awesome! I missed flying into / out of that terminal.

I saw some construction work going on last week.

Will Jet Blue use the existing facilities and what will be upgraded / expanded / renovated ?

Thanks !

There is a strong fear that the Saarinen terminal will end up as a vacant landmark. The design will leave the old T-5 sitting by itself. The roadway will go around it and the most convenient check-in will be behind it in the new building and there is no reason to exit through it.

Unless there is some specific attraction or restaurant or something in the Saarinen terminal, everyone will bypass it and it will look as abandoned as it does now. Some passengers will probably be interested initially since it has been closed but after a while it might just be something you see as you drive up to the new T5.

I think people would use the old terminal. jetBlue said it has plans to install a bunch of self check in kiosk in the old terminal and depends on where they decide to put in the new check in lobby at the new terminal 5, it may even be closer to check in at the old terminal if their just getting off the air train. It wont have as much foot traffic as the new terminal but I think jetBlue will find a use for it. Theres alot of open space in there. The lounges and cafeteria area plus the seating area are awesome spaces and can be use for many other stuff... plus they can use some of the area as a gallery or something, at least make it the place to go on long layovers, not just for jetBlue customers but everyone with a stop over at JFK.

What about lets share some idea on how to make use of the old terminal 5?
I say convert the old lounge into a jetBlue spa lounge for customer coming off long transcon flights with showers and maybe a gym and spas while at the same time offer some type of service for customer flying out of JFK. Charge like an daily, monthly, or annual fee to use the lounge, another way to increase revenue for jetBlue :) Any other ideas?

As a long-time TWA customer I'm thrilled to see that the old TWA Flight Center will come back to life, at least in some form.

And personally I am very happy to see that JetBlue is the airline that will be using this terminal. Although any comparison is tenuous at best, I think JetBlue is the only contemporary carrier that emobdies the best legacies of TWA (innovation, great customer service, independence from the pack, etc.).

I also know that a number of TWA's terrific people found work at JetBlue and I hope it's going well for them.

After TWA's demise I tried flying some of the other legacy carriers but quickly moved to JetBlue, which I find is a fantastic airline, a company that has really redefined the business to some extent.

I can't wait to get back to T5...

Terminal 5 is on the National Register of Historic places, so PANYNJ has a legal obligation to preserve it. Even if it goes largely unused, since it cannot be razed nor truely utilized (given how outdated the facility space is for modern airline use), this plan will at least do something with it. Plus, even though the new road will go around it, JetBlue travelers will still get an awesome glimpse of the magnificant structure as they pass by.

IF they could build an airside connection to the new building, so that you could be in there after having cleared, then B6 could do all kinds of things:

-- food court, with real restaurants
-- gym with showers (1 day passes -- or as giveaways when flights are late)
-- childrens' play area

That, combined with moving some of the on-airport offices over there, would put a great building to new use.

IF they could build an airside connection to the new building, so that you could be in there after having cleared, then B6 could do all kinds of things:

-- food court, with real restaurants
-- gym with showers (1 day passes -- or as giveaways when flights are late)
-- childrens' play area

That, combined with moving some of the on-airport offices over there, would put a great building to new use.

Possible, but costly. PANYNJ doesn't want to have to deal with T5, they are stuck with it. They'll take the easiest route possible. The current plan is just enough to pacify the nostalgic people like us FT'ers :)

Unlike most airports in the US, JFK terminals are leased entirely to airline(s) who operate them. My guess is that while JetBlue will operate the new T5, PANYNJ will retain operation of the landmark TWA Flight Center building... which is likely part of the reason for the distinctly-separate new T5. Given the responsibility associated with operating a Historic Landmark, I don't blame JetBlue for not wanting to foot the bill!