‍NEW YORK — Yesterday, October 1, 2024, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) marked a significant milestone with the topping-off of the final Terminal 6 steel beam. 

The new T6 is set to offer world-class passenger amenities, expanded taxiway and gate capacity, state-of-the-art security, and streamlined roadway access.

JFK Millennium Partners invited Airways to tour the T6 construction site and later participate in the celebration of the final steel beam topping-off ceremony.

We were greeted by JFK Millennium Partners executives Derek Thielmann and John Girardi, who took us up to the Departure Hall, walked us around the new facility, and guided us down to the concourse level, where future travelers departing would congregate.

Terminal 6 is scheduled to open in phases, beginning with the completion of the arrivals and departures hall and the first five gates in 2026. The second phase, which will include five additional gates, will open in 2028, completing the terminal.

T6 consists of three main layers, and construction is divided into two phases. We toured the First Phase.

Top Layer: Departures Hall, TSA

We proceeded to the top layer, walked from the middle to the left of the spacious edifice, and paused near the left boundary overseeing T7. “We can’t begin phase two until we knock down the current Terminal 7,” said Mr. Thielmann.

How small is Terminal 7 compared to the new T6? It will have the same number of gates, 10, but twice the square footage—1.2 million square feet.

While looking out to T7, We found ourselves underneath a small oculus opening. It hovers the main entrance to TSA and will have an art installation suspended from the surrounding ceiling.

“Where we're standing right now is the departures home... Everybody who's leaving or coming to the space [will pass through here]. What you see here on the right is about two-thirds of the departure zone.”

The JKF Millenium executive explains that this area will house a state-of-the-art departures hall. For the check-in experience, much of the back wall will be digital. It will be a hybrid check-in service, offering an automated self-bag check-in with units that will also have agents so travelers can choose their preferred check-in process. All units will “be biometrics-enabled.”

One day, people will check in with their facial ID and pass through security onto the plane with facial recognition. “That's the long-term plan; all the equipment will be enabled for that.”

In front of the small oculus and self-check area, a temporary access bridge was visible. On the other side, there will be the 36,000-square-foot Lufthansa (LH) lounge.

Thielmann explained, “Passengers will be able to board directly from their lounge to three gates and then onto the aircraft.”

There was also mention of a glass wall, which gives people views of the airfield so they can see where their aircraft are. After the TSA check, there's a recomposure area just upstairs, and everybody will come down via elevator or escalators.

As we turned our cameras toward the airport's control tower, we could see the ground floor and the outer part of the middle layer, destined for the arrivals hall. While we didn't tour these levels, Mr. Girardi told us, "The middle layer will be all terminal five exiting traffic, and the top layer, where we're standing right now, will be terminal six departure.”

Looking down, we saw an area with intermediate, shorter columns. That's where terminal five traffic will drive through, with a bridge connecting the roadway to departures and air train stations.

Bottom Level: Concession Concourse, the 80-foot Oculus

We finally went down two levels to the concession concourse area. “So if you're familiar with LaGuardia’s Terminal B, we sort of have something like that,” states our guide. “This will be a very similar space where we're going to have a major piece of art underneath this 80-foot oculus.”

“This is where all the shopping will be, all the shops, food and beverage.” There will also be a sensory room, a meditation room in the back, and restrooms. There are also connections to the first few gates—gates one, one, two, and three.

Above us was Air Lingus' (EI) lounge level, and near that was another lounge area, which has yet to be awarded—I asked Mr. Thielmann which airline but to no avail. Finally, Cathay Pacific (CX) and the newly announced JetBlue (B6) lounges will all be accessible from this area, with the lounges overseeing this concourse.

From this lower level, passengers will be able to access Terminal Five directly from both airside and landside, helping with transfers for people flying in internationally and accessing connecting flights.

As we exited the lower level, we saw a lot of concrete from the old apron. All the concrete on this job is crushed, reused, and recycled.

Final Steel Topping-Off Ceremony 

Hundreds of union construction workers proudly watched the final structural steel beam lifted at the new US$4.2 billion Terminal that will anchor the airport’s north side when the First Phase opens in 2026.

T6 development is creating more than 4,000 Jobs, including 1,800 union jobs and a 30% MWBE goal for contracts and financing Interests. The new Terminal will also offer extensive opportunities for local businesses and job seekers, as guided by the Community Advisory Council.

Governor Kathy Hochul, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and JFK Millennium Partners, the consortium building a new Terminal 6, celebrated a key milestone in the transformation of JFK, where members of organized labor hoisted into position the final piece of structural steel for the first phase of the 1.2 million-square-foot terminal.

The state-of-the-art terminal will feature expansive, naturally lit public spaces, cutting-edge technology, inspiring public art, and an array of amenities to enhance the customer experience. It will be a critical piece of the Port Authority’s US$19 billion transformation of JFK into a world-class global gateway.

A tradition in major infrastructure works, the topping-out ceremony commemorated the tremendous efforts of construction professionals and the men and women of organized labor to maintain safe and on-time construction.

The pine tree atop of the steel beam is there to celebrate the completion of the skeleton of the terminal structure. If the building were a skyscraper, the evergreen would be attached to the top beam as it is hoisted, a signal that the building has reached its final height.

Moreover, the topping tree signifies the safe completion of the framing of the structure, and a wish for continued good luck for the future of the building project and its occupants down the line.

Comments from City Officials, Partners

"Today marks a major milestone in the transformation of JFK International that will set a new standard for travel in New York," Governor Hochul said. "This state-of-the-art development would not have been possible without our skilled union workers and partners, and I look forward to continuing our work with them to build a more efficient, interconnected New York."

Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said, "Throughout history, our region has been the nation's front door to the world. Finally, with the transformation of JFK International, it will become the airport it was always destined to be—a state-of-the-art global gateway that tells visitors they've arrived in the greatest region of the nation. At JFK, at LaGuardia Airport, and at Newark Liberty International, we are making historic investments in the future of our region."

Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said, “Today’s topping-oR ceremony comes as we near the mid-point of this historic US$19 billion project to transform JFK into what will soon be one of the world’s great airports. When we unveiled our JFK Vision Plan seven years ago, few people believed we could build a new world-class airport while maintaining full flight operations and managing record passenger volumes. But seeing is believing. And in just a couple of years, travelers will experience a beautiful and efficient new airport with a uniquely New York sense of place.”

Steve Thody, CEO of JFK Millennium Partners, said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate today’s steel-topping out milestone at JFK Terminal 6, an exciting and important achievement on our journey towards opening in 2026. I’m grateful to our extraordinary JMP team and our 900-strong Terminal 6 workforce, who are committed to building a safe, state-of-the-art new home for our airline partners and their passengers — both here in New York and around the globe.”

Joanna Geraghty, CEO of jetBlue (B6), said, “On behalf of the more than 23,000 crewmembers at JetBlue, New York’s Hometown Airline, we’re thrilled to celebrate this important milestone for the new Terminal 6 in the same spot where jetBlue launched our first flights nearly 25 years ago. With a seamless connection between Terminal 6 and jetBlue’s Terminal 5, customers in both terminals will have access to the best shopping and dining New York has to offer as they travel through JFK. Congratulations to our partners on the Terminal 6 team and to Governor Hochul on another major step in achieving her vision for a new JFK.”

After topping off the final T6 steel beam, the airline CEO told us, “JFK is our home, and being able to expand our footprint beyond Terminal 5, having the facility connect with our Terminal 5 and bring to life all these partners in New York, it's just fantastic for us. So, we're very excited about what this terminal is going to bring, both in terms of jobs and customers, a completely redesigned customer experience.”

When pressed about seeing more flights to Europe from B6, Geraghty smiled coyly and said, “We’ll see… We’ll see.”

Transforming JFK into a World-Class Global Gateway

The JFK Vision Plan, launched in January 2017, aims to convert the airport into a world-class destination for New Yorkers.

The plan outlines a strategy framework for the Port Authority and partners to remodel, adapt, and expand current facilities and infrastructure. New Terminal One, a US$9.5 billion development on the airport's south side, began construction in September 2022.

In February 2023, construction began on a new US$4.2 billion Terminal 6 that will connect with Terminal 5 to form an anchor terminal on the airport's north side. The US$1.5 billion upgrade of Terminal 4, sponsored by Delta Air Lines (DL) and JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT), is nearly finished.

In November 2022, American Airlines (AA) completed a US$400 million extension of Terminal 8, which it operates.

New T6 Facts & Figures

Project Overview

• US$4.2 billion redevelopment of Terminal 6 includes the planning, design, and construction services for the program, part of the Port Authority’s US$19 billion modernization of JFK
• Anchoring JFK’s north side and built on the sites of the former Terminal 6 and the current Terminal 7, which will be demolished in 2026, the new Terminal 6 will feature:some text
  • 1.2 million sq. ft terminal complex
  • Capacity for up to 10 gates, including nine wide-body aircraft
  • All-concrete apron and taxi-lanes
  • 2.6 miles of new critical roadways and upgraded utilities
  • Seamless connections to JetBlue’s Terminal 5 operations
  • New ground transportation center and taxi stand for Terminals 5-6
  • New state-of-the-art customs & border patrol facility for Terminals 5-6
  • Six premier lounges, including a new 36,000 sq. ft Lufthansa lounge

• The first five gates (four wide-body and one narrow-body) to open by Q1 2026; Terminal 6 will be completed by 2028

Terminal 6 Size

• You can fit 20 football fields in the Terminal’s’ spacious 1.2 million square feet—or park 200 yellow school buses, New York style, side by side
• Among the 2.6 miles of new roadways are six distinct elevated roadways totaling over
• 2000 feet in length, or the equivalent distance of the Henry Hudson Bridge (2208 feet)
• Over 100,000 square feet of commercial allure is set to become a T6 shopping and dining haven, akin to a mini Fifth Avenue, where travelers can have a retail rendezvous just before jetting off
• Terminal 6 anchor tenant Lufthansa Group is building a 36,000-square-foot lounge for its airlines, spanning both phases of construction and set to offer passengers traveling on Austrian Airlines (OS), Brussels Airlines (SN), LH, or SWISS (LX) a world-class lounge experience

A special thank you to Suzanne Mannion of SMPR Consulting for her valuable assistance with this article. You can download the complete factsheet here.