John F. Kennedy International Airport | |||
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USGS aerial image as of April 8, 1994 | |||
IATA: JFK – ICAO: KJFK – FAA LID: JFK
JFK
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Summary | |||
Airport type | Public | ||
Owner | City of New York[1] | ||
Operator | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey[1] | ||
Location | Southern Queens, NY | ||
Hub for |
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Elevation AMSL | 13 ft / 4 m | ||
Website | |||
Runways | |||
Direction | Length | Surface | |
ft | m | ||
4L/22R | 11,351 | 3,460 | Asphalt |
4R/22L | 8,400 | 2,560 | Asphalt |
13L/31R | 10,000 | 3,048 | Asphalt |
13R/31L | 14,572 | 4,442 | Concrete |
Helipads | |||
Number | Length | Surface | |
ft | m | ||
H1 | 60 | 18 | Asphalt |
H2 | 60 | 18 | Asphalt |
H3 | 60 | 18 | Asphalt |
H4 | 60 | 18 | Asphalt |
Statistics (2009) | |||
Aircraft operations (ACI)[3] | 416,945 | ||
Passengers (ACI)[3] | 45,915,069 | ||
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[4]
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John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK, ICAO: KJFK, FAA LID: JFK) is an international airport located in Queens County, on Long Island, in southeastern New York City. The airport is approximately 12 miles (19 km) from Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States.[5] It is also the leading freight gateway to the country by value of shipments.[6] In 2009, the airport handled 45,915,069 passengers,[3] making it the 15th busiest airport in the world.
Over ninety airlines operate out of JFK. JFK International Airport is the base of operations for JetBlue Airways and is a major international gateway hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. In the past, it has been a former hub for Eastern Air Lines, National Airlines, Pan American World Airways and Trans World Airlines. The airport was renamed after John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States.
The airport is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also manages the two other major airports in the New York metropolitan area, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia Airport.
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JFK Airport was originally known as Idlewild Airport (IATA: IDL, ICAO: KIDL, FAA LID: IDL) after the Idlewild Golf Course that it displaced. The airport was originally envisioned as a reliever for LaGuardia Airport, which had insufficient capacity in the late 1930s. Construction began in 1943; approximately $60 million was initially spent, but only 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land on the site of the Idlewild golf course were earmarked for use.[7]
The project was renamed Major General Alexander E. Anderson Airport in 1943 after a Queens resident who had commanded a Federalized National Guard unit in the southern United States and who had died in late 1942. In March 1948, the New York City Council again changed the name of the airport to New York International Airport, Anderson Field, but the name "Idlewild" remained in common use until 1963.[8]
The Port Authority leased the airport property from the City of New York in 1947 and maintains this lease as of the late 2000s.[1] The first commercial flight at the airport was on July 1, 1948; the opening ceremony was attended by President Harry Truman.[7] Upon opening Idlewild, the Port Authority cancelled foreign airlines' permits to use LaGuardia, effectively forcing them to move to the new airport.[9]
The airport opened with six runways and a seventh under construction; [10] runways 1L and 7L were held in reserve and (as it turned out) never did come into use as runways. Runway 31R (originally 8000 ft) is still in use; runway 31L (originally 9500 ft) opened soon after the rest of the airport and is still in use; runway 1R closed in the 1950s and runway 7R closed around 1966. Runway 4 (originally 8000 ft, now runway 4L) opened June 1949 and runway 4R was added ten years later.
The airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 24, 1963, one month after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.[11]
The Port Authority originally envisioned a single 55-gate terminal for the airport, but the major airlines of the time did not agree with this plan, arguing that the terminal would be far too small for future traffic.[12] Architect Wallace Harrison then designed a master plan under which each major airline at the airport would be given its own space to develop its own terminal design.[13] This scheme made construction more practical, made terminals more navigable and introduced incentives for airlines to compete with each other for the best design.[12] The revised master plan met airline approval in 1955.[8]
JFK was designed to accommodate aircraft up to 300,000 lb gross weight[20] and had to be significantly modified in the late 1960s to accommodate Boeing 747s.[21]
Airlines began scheduling jets into Idlewild in 1958-59; LaGuardia didn't get jet airliners until 1964, so Idlewild soon became New York's busiest airline airport. During 1960-66 LaGuardia got a new terminal and longer runways, and by the middle 1970s the two airports had roughly equal passenger airline traffic (by flight count, not passenger count). (Until the 1980s Newark was always third place, except during LGA's reconstruction.) The supersonic Concorde, operated by Air France and British Airways, provided scheduled trans-Atlantic supersonic service to JFK from November 22, 1977 until October 24, 2003, when Concorde was retired by both carriers.[22][23][24] JFK had the most Concorde operations annually of any airport in the world.
JFK is currently undergoing a $10.3 billion redevelopment. The airport began construction of the AirTrain JFK rapid transit system in 1998; completed in December 2003, the rail network links each airport terminal to New York City subways and regional commuter trains at Howard Beach and Jamaica, Queens. The airport opened a new Terminal 1 on May 28, 1998, and the $1.4 billion replacement for the International Arrivals Building, Terminal 4, opened on May 24, 2001.[25][26] Construction has been completed on JetBlue Airways's new Terminal 5, which incorporates the historic landmark TWA FlightCenter terminal, while Terminals 8 and 9 were recently demolished and rebuilt as a unified Terminal 8 for the American Airlines hub. In 2008 the Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved a $20 million planning study for the much needed redevelopment of Terminals 2 and 3, the hub of Delta Air Lines.[27]
On March 19, 2007, JFK became the first airport in the United States to receive the Airbus A380 with passengers aboard. The route-proving flight with more than 500 passengers was operated jointly by Lufthansa and Airbus and arrived at Terminal 1. On August 1, 2008, JFK received the first regularly-scheduled commercial A380 flight to the United States, operated by Emirates on its New York–Dubai route using Terminal 4.[28] This service was suspended in 2009, due to poor passenger demand.[29] With passenger numbers up for Emirates on North America air traffic in the year 2009-10, they will reintroduce the A380 from October 31, 2010.
JFK has eight passenger terminals containing 151 gates. The terminal buildings are arranged in a deformed U-shaped wavy pattern around a central area containing parking, hotels, a power plant, and other airport facilities. The terminals are connected by the AirTrain system and access roads. Wayfinding signage throughout the terminals was designed by Paul Mijksenaar.[30] A 2006 survey by J.D. Power and Associates in conjunction with Aviation Week found JFK ranked second in overall traveller satisfaction among large airports in the United States, behind McCarran International Airport which serves the Las Vegas metropolitan area.[31]
The airport has eight terminals (nine until the early 2000s), seven of which are currently in use.
The original Terminal 1, built as a hub for Eastern Airlines, was demolished.[32]
The current Terminal 1 was opened in 1998, 50 years after the opening of JFK, at the direction of the Terminal One Group, a consortium of four key operating carriers: Air France, Japan Airlines, Korean Air and Lufthansa.[33] This partnership was founded after the four airlines reached agreement that existing international carrier facilities were inadequate for their needs.[34][35][36] Terminal One has the capability to handle the Air France A380 route from Paris Charles De Gaulle. Terminal 1 has 11 gates.
Terminal 2 was opened in 1962 as the home of Northeast Airlines, Braniff and Northwest Airlines. After the demise of Northeast Airlines and Braniff the building was taken over by Delta Air Lines. It has 7 jetway-equipped gates (20–22, 26–29) and 17 stands for Delta Connection carriers (23A-H, 23J, 25K-N, 25P-S). Delta plans to connect T2 with T4 once it moves int'l operations into T4 and demolishes T3. The project was approved by the Port Authority on August 5, 2010.[37]
Terminal 3 was built as the Worldport in 1960 for Pan American, and substantially expanded for the introduction of the 747 in 1970. Delta Air Lines currently uses the entire terminal, and has a connector to Terminal 2, its other terminal at JFK. Terminal 3 has 16 jetway equipped gates: 1–10, 12, 14–18 with two hardstand gates (Gate 11) and a helipad on Taxiway 'KK'.
In August, 2010, a 1.2 billion dollar project was announced which would expand T4 into which Delta would move its current T3 operations, demolish T3 to provide additional aircraft parking stands to speed up ground handling, and construct a connector between T2 and T4 for Delta transfers. T3 would be entirely demolished sometime in 2013, including the 'flying saucer' roof, after the T4 expansion is completed.[38][39][40][41]
Terminal 4, the international terminal, is able to handle the Airbus A380 and was developed by LCOR, Inc and is managed by the Schiphol Group. It was the first airport terminal in the United States to be managed by a foreign airport operator. Terminal 4 is the major gateway for international arrivals at JFK. Opened in 2001, the new 1,500,000-square-foot (140,000 m2) building was built at a cost of $1.4 billion and replaced JFK's old International Arrivals Building, or simply IAB, which opened in 1957. Terminal 4 has 17 gates in two concourses: A2-A7, B20, B22-B31. The number of gates will be expanded for all of Delta Air Lines international flights to be operated from Terminal 4 in the future. A photo was released which shows additional expansion of T4 to include "regional jet" gates, although this phase has not yet been officially confirmed.[42][43][44]
Concourse A has six gates, numbered A2-A7. Concourse B has eleven gates, numbered B20-B31, excluding B21. As Terminal 4 was built during the construction of the AirTrain, the AirTrain station was built inside the terminal building. Other AirTrain stations are built across from terminal buildings. Terminal 4’s expansive shopping mall offers a wide range of retail options before security so passengers and their families can enjoy shopping and dining together. Four chapels are located on the fourth floor (departure level). Delta Air Lines has also commenced operations from T4, as it expands operations beyond T2 and T3, and will eventually move all of its international services from T3. Passengers may check in at T2 (First and Business Class), T3 or T4 for all Delta flights.
Terminal 5 is the new home of JetBlue Airways. The recently-completed terminal is known for its many gift shops and gourmet restaurants, including a steak house and a sushi restaurant. It sits behind the preserved Eero Saarinen-designed terminal originally known as the TWA Flight Center, which is now connected to the new structure and is considered part of T5. The Saarinen building is currently closed for refurbishment; it is unclear when the building will re-open or what purpose it will have. The active T5 building has 26 gates: 1–12, 14–27.
Terminal 6, which had 14 gates, is now closed. Designed by I. M. Pei, it was built in 1970 as the National Airlines Sundrome. Later, United Airlines used it for transcontinental flights. On June 1, 2006, JetBlue began service from Terminal 6, opening a temporary complex that increased its capacity by adding seven gates. After JetBlue vacated the terminal, these were demolished[45]. The original building is also to be demolished, to make way for future Terminal 5 expansion.[46]
Terminal 7 was built for BOAC and Air Canada in the early 1970s. It is currently owned and operated by British Airways. A variety of Oneworld alliance carriers operate out of Terminal 7, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia (now merged with British Airways) and Qantas. Star Alliance carriers United Airlines, US Airways and ANA also use the terminal. In 1997, the Port Authority entered an agreement with British Airways to expand the terminal. The renovated terminal has 12 gates.[47] On May 21, 2008, British Airways announced that it would undertake a $30 million, 18-month-long project to enhance its premium ground facilities at the terminal. British Airways is currently evaluating the future of Terminal 7, as its lease with the Port Authority ends in 2015.
Management has indicated a desire to relocate British Airways/Iberia's operations to a new pier located east and connected to Terminal 8, pending approval of an alliance with American Airlines.[48]
In 1999, American Airlines began an eight-year program to build the largest passenger terminal at JFK, designed to replace both Terminal 8 and Terminal 9. The new terminal was built in four phases, which involved the construction of a new midfield concourse, demolition of the old Terminal 9, and finally demolition of the old Terminal 8. It opened in stages between 2005 and its "official" opening in August 2007.[49] It is a major Oneworld hub, and American Airlines is the major Oneworld carrier at Terminal 8. In addition to operations at Terminal 7, some Oneworld airlines including Finnair operate out of Terminal 8.
The terminal is about 50% larger than Madison Square Garden. It offers dozens of retail and food outlets, 84 ticket counters, 44 self-service kiosks, 10 security lanes and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility that can process more than 1,600 people an hour. It has two American Airlines Admirals Clubs and a Flagship Lounge for premium class passengers.
Terminal 8 has 29 gates: 12 gates in Concourse B (1–8, 10, 12, 14, and 16) and 17 gates in Concourse C (31–47).[50] Gate 31 is further subdivided into 5 regional service gates for small jets, 31A-31E. Gate 32 is subdivided into 4 regional service gates for small jets, 32F-32I. The total number of jetbridges is, therefore, 36. Concourse C is unusual in that to reach the concourse, passengers must descend on an escalator (or elevator) and walk through a short tunnel, then ascend another escalator to the concourse. Of interest are a history of American Airlines logos on display between the security checkpoint and the concourses.
Airlines | Destinations | Terminal |
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Aer Lingus | Dublin, Shannon [seasonal] | 4 |
Aeroflot | Moscow-Sheremetyevo | 1 |
Aerogal | Guayaquil, Quito | 4 |
Aeroméxico | Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta | 1 |
Aerosvit Airlines | Kiev-Boryspil | 4 |
Air Berlin | Düsseldorf [seasonal] | 8 |
Air China | Beijing-Capital | 1 |
Air Europa | Madrid | 4 |
Air France | Paris-Charles de Gaulle | 1 |
Air India | Delhi, Mumbai | 4 |
AIRES | Bogota | 4 |
Alitalia | Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino | 1 |
All Nippon Airways | Tokyo-Narita | 7 |
American Airlines | Aruba, Austin, Barbados, Barcelona, Bermuda, Brussels, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Cancún, Caracas, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Eagle/Vail [seasonal], Fort Lauderdale [begins November 18][51], Havana [charter], Las Vegas, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Manchester (UK) [seasonal], Miami, Milan-Malpensa, Montego Bay, Orlando, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Port-au-Prince, Providenciales, Punta Cana, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão [begins November 18][52], Rome-Fiumicino [seasonal], St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Diego, San Francisco, San José (CR), San Juan, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Tokyo-Haneda [begins January 20][53], Tokyo-Narita, Zürich | 8 |
American Eagle | Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky [begins November 18][54], Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Halifax, Indianapolis [begins November 18][55], Montréal-Trudeau, Norfolk [begins November 18][56], Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, Toronto-Pearson, Washington-Reagan | 8 |
Arik Air | Lagos | 4 |
Asiana Airlines | Seoul-Incheon | 4 |
Austrian Airlines | Vienna | 1 |
Avianca | Bogotá, Cali, Medellin-Cordova | 4 |
British Airways | London-City, London-Heathrow | 7 |
Caribbean Airlines | Georgetown, Port of Spain | 4 |
Caribbean Airlines operated by Air Jamaica | Barbados, Grenada [seasonal], Kingston, Montego Bay | 4 |
Cathay Pacific Airways | Hong Kong, Vancouver | 7 |
Cayman Airways | Georgetown, Grand Cayman | 1 |
China Airlines | Taipei-Taoyuan | 1 |
China Eastern Airlines | Shanghai-Pudong | 1 |
Copa Airlines | Panama City | 4 |
Delta Air Lines | London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, San Francisco | 2 |
Delta Air Lines | Abuja, Accra, Amman-Queen Alia, Amsterdam, Antigua, Aruba, Athens, Atlanta, Berlin-Tegel, Bogotá, Bonaire [seasonal], Boston, Brussels, Budapest, Cairo, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Copenhagen, Dakar, Denver, Detroit, Dublin, Ft Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Grenada [seasonal], Istanbul-Atatürk, Kiev-Boryspil [seasonal], Las Vegas, Manchester (UK), Mexico City, Miami, Milan-Malpensa, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Mumbai [resumes October 31], Nice, Orange County [begins September 7], Orlando, Phoenix, Pisa, Port-au-Prince, Portland (OR), Port-Of-Spain, Prague, Punta Cana, Reykjavik-Keflavík [begins June 1, 2011], Rome-Fiumicino, St. Thomas, Salt Lake City, San Antonio [begins September 7], San Diego, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Seattle/Tacoma, Shannon, Stockholm-Arlanda, Tampa, Tel Aviv, Tokyo-Narita, Venice-Marco Polo, Zürich [seasonal] | 3 |
Delta Air Lines | Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga [seasonal], Montego Bay, San Juan, Valencia [seasonal] | 4 |
Delta Connection operated by Chautauqua Airlines | Albany (NY), Charlotte, Columbus (OH), Hartford [begins September 7], Norfolk, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh | 3 |
Delta Connection operated by Comair | Albany (NY), Baltimore, Bangor, Boston, Buffalo, Burlington (VT), Charlotte, Charlottetown [seasonal], Chicago-O'Hare, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Freeport, Hartford [ends September 6], Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montréal-Trudeau, Nantucket [seasonal], Nashville, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester (NY), St. Louis, Syracuse, Toronto-Pearson, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan | 3 |
Delta Connection operated by Compass Airlines | Minneapolis/St. Paul | 3 |
Delta Connection operated by Mesaba Airlines | Buffalo, Houston-Intercontinental | 3 |
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines | Albany (NY) [begins September 8], Baltimore, Cleveland, Hartford [begins September 7], Indianapolis, Nashville, Rochester (NY), Washington-Dulles | 3 |
EgyptAir | Cairo | 4 |
El Al | Tel Aviv | 4 |
Emirates | Dubai | 4 |
Etihad Airways | Abu Dhabi | 4 |
Finnair | Helsinki | 8 |
Iberia | Madrid | 7 |
Icelandair | Reykjavik-Keflavík | 7 |
Japan Airlines | São Paulo-Guarulhos [ends October 1], Tokyo-Narita | 1 |
Jet Airways | Brussels, Chennai | 8 |
JetBlue Airways | Aguadilla, Aruba, Austin, Bermuda, Boston, Buffalo, Burbank, Burlington, Charlotte, Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Houston-Hobby, Jacksonville (FL), Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Nantucket [seasonal], Nassau, New Orleans, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Ponce, Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan, Sarasota/Bradenton, Seattle/Tacoma, Syracuse, Tampa, Washington-Dulles, West Palm Beach | 5 |
JetBlue Airways (International flights except Aruba, Nassau, and all Puerto Rico destinations). | Barbados, Cancún, Kingston, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, | Departures: 5
Arrivals: 4 |
KLM | Amsterdam | 4 |
Korean Air | Seoul-Incheon | 1 |
Kuwait Airways | Kuwait City, London-Heathrow | 4 |
LAN Airlines | Lima, Santiago de Chile, Toronto-Pearson | 4 |
LAN Ecuador | Guayaquil | 4 |
LOT Polish Airlines | Rzeszów [seasonal], Warsaw | 4 |
Lufthansa | Frankfurt, Munich | 1 |
Meridiana Fly | Naples, Palermo [All Seasonal] | 4 |
Pakistan International Airlines | Karachi, Lahore | 4 |
Qantas | Sydney | 7 |
Qatar Airways | Doha | 4 |
Royal Air Maroc | Casablanca | 1 |
Royal Jordanian | Amman-Queen Alia | 4 |
Saudi Arabian Airlines | Jeddah, Riyadh | 1 |
Singapore Airlines | Frankfurt, Singapore | 4 |
South African Airways | Dakar, Johannesburg | 4 |
Sun Country Airlines | Minneapolis/St. Paul | 4 |
Swiss International Air Lines | Geneva, Zürich | 4 |
TACA Airlines | San Pedro Sula, San Salvador | 4 |
TACA Airlines operated by Lacsa | San José de Costa Rica | 4 |
TAM Airlines | Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, São Paulo-Guarulhos | 4 |
Transaero | Moscow-Domodedovo [begins October 29][57] | 4 |
Turkish Airlines | Istanbul-Atatürk | 1 |
United Airlines | Los Angeles, San Francisco | 7 |
United Express operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines | Washington-Dulles | 7 |
United Express operated by Shuttle America | Washington-Dulles | 7 |
US Airways | Charlotte, Phoenix | 7 |
Uzbekistan Airways | Riga, Tashkent | 4 |
Virgin America | Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco | 4 |
Virgin Atlantic Airways | London-Heathrow | 4 |
Vision Airlines | Havana [scheduled charter] | 8 |
XL Airways France | Paris-Charles de Gaulle [seasonal] | 1 |
Four runways (two pairs of parallel runways) surround the airport's central terminal area.[58]
Number | Length | Width | ILS | Notes |
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13R-31L | 14,572 feet (4,442 m) | 200 feet (61 m) | Cat. I (31L) | Second-longest commercial runway in North America (the longest is a 16,000 feet (4,900 m) runway at Denver International Airport). Adjacent to Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Handled approximately one half of the airport's scheduled departures. It was the backup runway for space shuttle missions.[59] It was closed on March 1, 2010 for four months. The reconstruction of the runway widened it from 150 feet (46 m) to 200 feet (61 m) with a concrete base instead of asphalt. It reopened on June 29th, 2010.[60] |
4R-22L | 8,400 feet (2,600 m) | 200 feet (61 m) | Cat. III (both directions) | Equipped at both ends with Approach Lighting Systems (ALS) with sequenced flashers, and touchdown zone (TDZ) lighting. The first Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) in North America was installed at the northeast end of the runway in 1996. The bed consists of cellular cement material, which can safely decelerate and stop an aircraft that overruns the runway. The arrestor bed concept was originated and developed by the Port Authority and installed at JFK Airport as a joint research and development project with the FAA and industry. |
4L-22R | 11,351 feet (3,460 m) | 150 feet (46 m) | Cat. I (both directions) | Adjacent to Terminals 4 and 5. Both ends allow instrument landings down to three-quarters of a mile visibility. Takeoffs can be conducted with one-eighth of a mile visibility. |
13L-31R | 10,000 feet (3,000 m) | 150 feet (46 m) | Cat. II (13L); Cat. I (31R) | Equipped at both ends with ILS and ALS systems. Runway 13L has two additional visual aids for landing aircraft, a Visual Approach Slope Indicator System (VASI) and a Lead-In Lighting System (LDIN). The ILS on 13L, along with TDZ lighting, allows landings down to half a mile visibility. Takeoffs can be made with visibility of one-eighth of a mile. |
JFK has over 25 miles (40 km) of taxiways to move aircraft in and around the airfield. The standard width of these taxiways is 75 feet (23 m), with 25-foot (7.6 m) heavy-duty shoulders and 25-foot (7.6 m) erosion control pavements on each side. The taxiways have centerline lights and are generally of asphalt concrete composition 15 to 18 inches (460 mm) thick. An illuminated sign system provides directional information for taxiing aircraft.
The Air Traffic Control Tower, designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and constructed on the ramp-side of Terminal 4, began full FAA operations in October 1994.[61] An Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE) radar unit sits atop the tower. A gas-fired electric cogeneration plant generates electricity for the airport, with an output of about 90 megawatts. It uses thermal energy from the capture of waste heat to heat and cool all of the passenger terminals and other facilities in the central terminal area.[62]
Aircraft service facilities include seven aircraft hangars, an engine overhaul building, a 32-million gallon aircraft fuel storage facility, and a truck garage.
In the immediate vicinity of the airport, parking and other information can be obtained by tuning to a highway advisory radio station at 1630 AM.[63] A second station at 1700 AM provides information on traffic concerns for drivers leaving the airport.
Kennedy Airport, along with LaGuardia and Newark airports, uses a uniform style of signage throughout the airport properties. Yellow signs direct passengers to airline gates, ticketing and other flight services; green signs direct passengers to ground transportation services, and black signs lead to restrooms, telephones and other passenger amenities.
New York City traffic reporter Bernie Wagenblast provides the voice for the airport's radio stations and the messages heard onboard AirTrain JFK and in its stations.[64]
In 2009, JFK handled 45,915,069 passengers.[3]
The airport contributes about $30.1 billion in economic activity to the New York City region, generating 229,000 jobs and about $9.8 billion in wages and salaries. About 35,000 people are employed at the airport.[65]
By passengers carried, the five largest airlines at JFK are:[66]
Nearly 100 airlines from over 50 countries operate regularly scheduled flights from JFK. The JFK-London Heathrow route is the leading U.S. international airport pair with over 2.9 million passengers in 2008. Domestic travel also accounts for a large share of airport traffic, particularly transcontinental and Florida service.[5]
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JFK is the nation’s busiest international air freight gateway by value of shipments and the second busiest overall by value including all air, land and sea U.S. freight gateways. Over 21% of all U.S. international air freight by value and 11% by tonnage moved through JFK in 2003.[6]
The JFK air cargo complex is a Foreign Trade Zone which legally lies outside the customs area of the United States.[67] JFK is a major hub for air cargo between the United States and Europe. London, Brussels and Frankfurt are JFK's three top trade routes.[6] The European airports are mostly a link in a global supply chain, however. The top destination markets for cargo flying out of JFK in 2003 were Tokyo, Seoul and London. Similarly, the top origin markets for imports at JFK were Seoul, Hong Kong, and Taipei, with London taking the fourth spot.[6]
Nearly 100 cargo air carriers operate out of JFK,[6] among them: Air China Cargo, ABX Air, Asiana, Astar Air Cargo, Atlas Air, CAL Cargo Air Lines, Cargolux, Cargoitalia, Cathay Pacific Cargo, China Airlines, DHL, EVA Air, Emirates SkyCargo, Evergreen International Airlines, Nippon Cargo Airlines, FedEx Express, DHL Air UK, Kalitta Air, Korean Air, Lufthansa Cargo, Prince Edward Air, TNT Airways, United Cargo, UPS, Southern Air. Top 5 carriers together transported 33.1% of all “revenue” freight in 2005: American Airlines (10.9% of the total), FedEx Express (8.8%), Lufthansa Cargo (5.2%), Korean Air Cargo (4.9%), China Airlines (3.8%).[68]
Most cargo and maintenance facilities at JFK are located north and west of the main terminal area. DHL, FedEx Express, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Nippon Cargo Airlines and United Airlines have cargo facilities at JFK.[6][69] In 2000, Korean Air Cargo opened a new $102 million cargo terminal at JFK with total floor area of 81,124 square feet (7,536.7 m2) and capability of handling 200,000 tons annually.[70] In 2007, American Airlines opened a new priority parcel service facility at their Terminal 8, featuring 30-minute drop-offs and pick-ups for priority parcel shipments within the US.[71]
JFK is connected to New York's subway and commuter rail system by AirTrain JFK. AirTrain stops at all terminals, parking lots, hotel shuttle areas, car rental lots, 2 subway stations & the Long Island Rail Road. It is free within the airport. Travel time between JFK and Midtown Manhattan is approximately 30–40 minutes (depending on the originating/terminating terminal at JFK) using AirTrain and the Long Island Rail Road at Jamaica Station; or approximately 75 minutes between JFK and Downtown Manhattan using AirTrain and the New York City Subway A train at Howard Beach-JFK Station or the E (to Midtown Manhattan), J and Z (to Downtown Manhattan) trains at Sutphin Boulevard Station.[72]
A Lower Manhattan-Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project has been proposed to connect the AirTrain to Lower Manhattan.
Several city bus lines link JFK to the New York City Subway and Long Island Rail Road, including the Q3, Q6, Q7, Q10 (Local/Limited), and B15, with free transfers provided for subway connections. The buses are handicapped accessible. There are also many private bus lines operating express buses to Manhattan, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island.
New York City's yellow cabs, licensed by the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, offer a flat rate service of $45 from JFK airport to Manhattan, excluding tips and tolls. Since November 30, 2006, this flat rate fare (excluding tips and tolls) applies to travel from Manhattan to JFK as well. Depending on the time of day, taxi travel from JFK to Midtown Manhattan can be as quick as 35 minutes. Door-to-door Car Service is another popular transportation option.
JFK Airport is easily accessible by car and is located in southern Queens on the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678), which can be accessed from the Belt Parkway, the Grand Central Parkway and Queens Boulevard. A ring road connects the airport terminals to the Belt Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway. The airport offers customers over 17,000 parking spaces, included in multi-level parking garages, surface spaces in the Central Terminal Area, a long-term parking lot and valet parking.[73] Many people looking for long term parking at JFK on major travel days have a hard time finding spaces or finding spaces that are close to the monorail. Consequently they have to drag their luggage through vast parking lots until they can get to the shuttle stops or the monorail. A number of off-site airport parking facilities have come in existence to help alleviate the problem of getting from a parked car to a departure terminal. These companies offer 24/7 service to and from the terminals. JFK Long Term Parking offers free on demand Valet service.
Van Wyck Expressway twists through the terminal nucleus and turns into the JFK Expressway. This four-lane expressway allows for more convenient access to the airport for Long Island users via the westbound Belt Parkway. Because it lies almost entirely within Kennedy Airport, the JFK Expressway was constructed, and is maintained by the Port Authority. The JFK Expressway was built as part of an ongoing, multi-billion overhaul of Kennedy Airport that began in the late 1980s. It was designed to relieve up to 30 percent of the traffic volume from the Van Wyck Expressway.[74] Approximately 6 major rental car companies serve JFK Airport, with rental locations located on and off the airport. Each terminal's arrivals level (usually near the baggage carousel) has either a rental car counter or courtesy telephone for each of the car rental companies.
US Helicopter operated regularly scheduled flights every hour between Terminal 3 and the East 34th Street Heliport. Passengers traveling by helicopter to the airport passed through a security checkpoint at the heliport, not at JFK. On May 14, 2007, US Helicopter moved its operations from Terminal 9 to Terminal 3.[75] US Helicopter announced that it was temporarily suspending operations on September 25, 2009 due to financial difficulties.[76]
New York Airways provided helicopter service from JFK to other area airports and heliports from 1955 to 1979, and Pan American World Airways continued Manhattan helicopter service during the 1980s in order to feed its JFK flights. During the 1970s, New York Helicopter offered JFK flights from the top of the Pan Am Building in midtown Manhattan, but this service was cancelled after a major accident in 1977.[77]
JFK has been the site of several notable aviation accidents and incidents.
Other accidents and incidents involving JFK include:
As one of the major international gateways in the United States, JFK possesses a high profile in popular culture. The British Invasion began with the arrival of The Beatles at JFK in 1964, who held their first American press conference at the airport.
Rapper Notorious B.I.G. references the airport's code name in the song "Going Back to Cali." The theme song of the 1960s comedy TV series Car 54, Where Are You? contained a line reading: "There's a scout troop short a child, [Nikita] Khrushchev's due at Idlewild," referencing the airport's previous name, Idlewild. In his one-man show Red diaper baby, Josh Kornbluth's eccentric communist father insists on referring to JFK as the "Bay of Pigs Memorial Airport". JFK is also mentioned in the U2 song, "Angel of Harlem", as well as the song "The City" by Joe Purdy. In the Simpsons episode "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)" Mr. Burns builds the 'Spruce Moose' a parody of Howard Hughes's 'Spruce Goose' airplane, which he claims will fly from New York's Idlewild Airport to the Belgian Congo in seventeen minutes. A futuristic version of JFK was featured in The Fifth Element. In I Love Lucy, Lucy misses the USS Constitution bound for Europe and is forced to take a helicopter out of Idlewild Airport. Idlewild Airport was also mentioned in a Twilight Zone episode in which a plane en route to Idlewild travels through time. JFK is also used frequently by television series in the Law & Order franchise.
Many films have used JFK as a setting:
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