I saw how New York's biggest airport wants to build a 5-star terminal. I'd actually look forward to flying through.
26.10.2024 - 22:57
/ insider.com
/ John F.Kennedy
New York City's biggest airport is getting a major facelift.
John F. Kennedy International Airport broke ground on a new Terminal One in September 2022. The 2.4 million-square-foot facility will live where terminals 1, 2, and 3 once stood, with the first facilities expected to open in 2026.
A private consortium is investing $9.5 billion to modernize the new terminal, focusing on safety, efficiency, and the customer experience. This is part of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's $19 billion total investment in upgrades at the city's largest airport.
And there's no better time than now, as the industry sees record-breaking travel, with JFK considered among the most prominent international gateways in North America.
JFK hosts more than 70 airlines and handled about 62 million passengers in 2023. The new terminal is expected to expand passenger capacity, with carriers like Phillippines Airlines, Air France, and Italian low-cost airline Neos all pledging to fly in.
Developers hope the future state-of-the-art terminal will become a Skytrax five-star airport terminal — a feat no US airport had achieved until New York's LaGuardia Airport finally ditched its infamous "LaGarbage" nickname with a new and improved Terminal B in 2023.
But to reach that status, JFK will have to overcome many long-standing problems, such as overcrowding and traffic congestion. In September, researchers from InsureMyTrip analyzed data from the Department of Transportation and found that JFK was among the worst airports for flight cancellations in 2024.
Business Insider, alongside other media, toured SITA's pre-production testing center in Long Island to get a behind-the-scenes look at the technology coming to the new terminal to address the pain points of international travelers.
This includes facial recognition boarding, AI-powered gate systems, and air traffic technology to reduce the chance of near misses. If the technology works as promised, I'd look forward to flying through.
Facial recognition has been installed at some airports across the country for international flights, including JFK's revamped Terminal 8. In March, BI used biometrics to board a London-bound British Airways flight.
The new terminal wants to make facial recognition mainstream across the 23-gate facility.
The "e-gate" technology appeared easy enough to use for even less tech-savvy travelers. Flyers simply sign up for the service at check-in with their passport. Data is only stored for 24 hours, so travelers will have to do this step every time they fly.
"E-gates mean no boarding pass and no ID required to board an aircraft," a SITA developer said during the tour.
The developer said the technology is about 99% accurate and can distinguish between