Progress at New York's JFK

The cornerstone of the $9 billion-plus renaissance of New York's JFK International Airport is Terminal 4, which will
open officially on May 24. Unlike the International Arrivals Building (IAB), which it replaces, the new, three- story Terminal 4 will handle both international and
domestic flights. One holdover from the original IAB is Alexander Calder's "Flight" mobile, which will be joined by one of the largest airport displays of specially
commissioned, privately funded artwork.

On the top floor, huge walls of glass and 40-ft. ceilings give departing passengers, as they move from the Check-in Lobby to the Departure Lounge, a clear line of sight to the aircraft almost from the building's entrance. Initially, 36 airlines will share 144 "common use" check-in positions,
and each position can simultaneously handle multiple flights of an airline and its code-share partners. All this is designed to reduce passenger stress.

The ground-level Arrivals Hall accommodates 52 INS positions, 20 Customs counters, seven baggage carousels, and two separate conveyors for skis, golf clubs, and other
oversize items. The facility is designed to handle 3,200 arriving passengers per hour, compared to 2,000 in the old building. A 100,000 sq. ft. Retail Hall (equivalent to four city blocks) -- accessible by passengers and the public alike -- is on the building's mid-level, along with two business centers, a conference room, and the AirTrain light rail station.

A virtual doubling of the new Terminal 4 is planned for completion in 2005, when Delta expects to move its international operations into the facility.

JFK's $1.9 billion AirTrain project is "humming along within budget and on schedule," according to the Port Authority. When it's complete, AirTrain stations will be
located at six passenger terminals, the rental car facility, the employee and long-term parking lots, Howard Beach in Brooklyn, and Jamaica Station in Queens -- with
connections to the Long Island Railroad and the city bus and subway system.

Transportation between JFK and Manhattan
will take about 36 minutes. The on-airport portion of the AirTrain and the Brooklyn terminal are expected to launch
in the fourth quarter of 2002; the Jamaica Station leg in 2003.

What else is going on? American Airlines is replacing Terminals 8 and 9 with a complex that will have 220 check- in counters and 56 gates -- a project due for completion in
2006. Still on hold is what to do with the obsolete, but still futuristic-looking, TWA international terminal (Terminal 5) after the demise of its namesake carrier. And
the old Tower Air facility is available and may have potential, too.


Want to know even more about JFK's Terminal 4?
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