This brings us back to the rehabilitation of JFK’s Bay Runway 13R-31L. It’s one of the original runways at the airport when it opened for commercial flights in 1948. It now handles more than 140,000 of the approximately 440,000 annual arrivals/departures, including more than 50% of the airport’s total departures. The runway, at 14,572 feet in length, is one of the longest commercial runways in the world and the PANYNJ’s $376.3 million investment is part of the JFK Delay Reduction Program.

The runway will be widened from 150 to 200 feet and the existing asphalt will be milled down six inches and overlaid with 18 inches of concrete, which should last for more than 20 years without significant repairs. In fact, the FAA and PANYNJ expect to save more than 10,000 delay hours as a result of the runway project, combined with taxiway improvements and procedural changes in the airspace and at the airport. As the largest operator at JFK, fewer delays mean greater operational predictability and a lower cost per available seat mile (CASM) for us.