First gates of New York JFK’s new Terminal 6 set to open in 2026

JFK Millennium Partners (JMP) has confirmed that construction of a new international Terminal 6 anchoring New York JFK’s north side will begin early next year, following financial close of the $4.2 billion project.

Approved in August 2021 by PANYNJ’s Board of Commissioners, the new Terminal 6 development will feature a 1.2 million square foot terminal, 10 new gates – including nine wide-body gates – and bright and airy check-in halls and arrival spaces designed to enhance the customer experience.

JMP – a consortium comprising Vantage Airport Group, American Triple I (ATI) and JetBlue – notes that the terminal will boast more than 100,000 square feet of dining and shopping, airline lounges and recreational spaces as well as custom art works and the latest advances in sustainability and security.

JMP will develop the new international terminal in two phases, with the first gates opening in 2026 and project completion expected in 2028.

PANYNJ executive director, Rick Cotton, said: “The financial close on a new Terminal 6 allows us to move forward with the final piece of our plan to transform JFK International Airport into one of the world’s great global gateways.

“The $4.2 billion private investment in Terminal 6 by JFK Millennium Partners is a vote of confidence in our vision for a new JFK and in the future of our region.”

Vantage Airport Group’s veteran Board chair and CEO, George Casey, noted: “We’ve assembled a first-class team, led by Vantage and backed by Corsair, our shareholder and the project’s principal financial sponsor, to deliver a new international Terminal 6 that will transform the guest experience and contribute to the overarching transformation of JFK International Airport.

“[This will help] maximise opportunities for community involvement and employment, as well as demonstrate the power of strong partnerships to deliver extraordinary airport infrastructure for our communities.”

JFK Millennium Partners CEO, Helena Williams, said: “Working with our partners at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Vantage, ATI, RXR, and JetBlue, we are ready to bring an unprecedented level of economic activity to southeast Queens with construction jobs and opportunities for minority-and women-owned businesses as we build a state-of-the-art terminal at one of the nation’s most important international gateway airports.”

While JetBlue CEO, Robin Hayes, commented: “New York is in JetBlue’s DNA and inspires everything we do. Financial close allows us to help introduce another world-class terminal in our home of the Big Apple. We are thrilled to work alongside the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and with JFK Millennium Partners to modernise JFK and bring our unique brand and culture to even more New Yorkers in a brand-new terminal.

“Thanks to our Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, JetBlue’s presence in New York has never been greater and the new Terminal 6 project will only accelerate our growth in the years to come.”

The new Terminal 6 will also connect seamlessly to the existing JFK Terminal 5, operated by JetBlue. Lufthansa Group, which has been operating in the New York region for more than six decades, will also make its home in the new Terminal 6, operating international flights out of several gates.

The development of Terminal 6 is expected to create more than 4,000 jobs and direct wages of $1.9 billion.