New York JFK is in the midst of a $19 billion redevelopment, which includes the $4.2 billion redevelopment of Terminals 6 and 7 into a conjoined Terminal 6 (T6), featuring 10 widebody gates and a mix of modern amenities. Airlines editor Robert Silk spoke with Steve Thody, CEO of JFK Millennium Partners, the consortium that is building and will run T6 for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, about the progress of the project and what travelers can expect to find there.
Steve Thody
Q: Last month you celebrated the structural topping-off. When will T6 open?
A: We are building this in two phases. The first five gates open in Q1 2026. Following that, Terminal 7 will be closed and demolished, which will make way for the other five gates. Phase 2 will be completed in 2028.
Q: How are you future-proofing the terminal?
A: Connectivity is the first point. There will be quick connecting-flight access. T6 will be the only terminal at JFK that will have access to two AirTrain stations and two parking garages. There will be a new ground transportation center. We have 6,000 solar panels going on the roof. We have a gray-water capture system. We have 18 artists that have been announced.
Q: What do you consider to be the elements of a modern airport terminal?
A: Terminals have evolved over time from just a processing facility to an experience. We like to come at it from a view that a customer's journey no longer starts from when you board the plane but from the moment you arrive at the airport. We think about how to create an environment that they want to be in, that they enjoy being in, that will relax them in the high-stress areas like check-in and TSA and Customs when they come back from international arrivals but that provide them with stimulation and things to look at when they are in dwell areas, such as food courts, hold rooms or lounges.
Q: What types of elements relax a traveler?
A: We try to remove queuing as much as possible. And when somebody is queuing, how do we create a better environment? So less noise, having the necessary signage, but also with the right color palette. How do you create images on the walls, create calm in the environment and keep people entertained?
Q: Modern terminals are much higher-roofed than in the old days; usually there are lots of windows for sunlight. Those types of elements are also important.
A: Correct. T6 has huge floor-to-ceiling windows. It has an 80-foot and a 60-foot skylight. Lack of line-of-sight is another thing that stresses customers. Customers want to see where their journey is going instead of having to round the next corner to see.
Q: Which airlines will be in the new Terminal 6? JetBlue is a financing partner.
A: The other airlines we've announced are the Lufthansa Group carriers, Cathay Pacific and Aer Lingus. There are a couple of others that we are close to announcing. JetBlue is a 5% owner of JFK Millennial Partners. Its home is still Terminal 5, but that connects on the air side and land side. Flyers will walk off their plane in T5 and within 10 minutes be boarding their plane for an international flight in T6.
Q: What lounge spaces are planned for T6?
A: We have six lounges. We are working on who we are going to select as the partner to operate the arrivals lounge, which would provide access to all the T6 airlines and JetBlue. We have the Lufthansa lounge. It's 36,000 square feet -- very big. Cathay Pacific will have a lounge that will be around 9,000 square feet. Aer Lingus will have a lounge. Plus there are two more available departure lounges.