Dive Brief:
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has provided more details on his $13 billion plan to turn New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport into a "world-class" facility that will accommodate at least 15 million more passengers a year. The new investment projection is $3 billion more than previous estimates of $10 billion.
- The goal of the project is to modernize and unify the airport's building and road infrastructure in order to create a better traveler experience. Cuomo's proposed redevelopment includes construction of two new international terminals totaling 4 million square feet, demolition of old terminals, repurposing vacant space, adding to the number and size of gates, improving taxiways to reduce airplane congestion and allow for larger aircraft, an upgrade of the AirTrain JFK system, improving airport road infrastructure, and adding state-of-the-art security improvements and a centralized ground transportation system.
- As far as funding is concerned, $12 billion will come from the private sector and $1 billion from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The $3 billion, 1.2-million-square-foot north terminal will be developed and paid for by JetBlue. Lufthansa, Air France, Japan Airlines and Korean Air Lines will develop the $7.9 billion, 2.9-million-square foot south terminal. The two terminals are expected to create almost 10,000 direct jobs, some of those related to construction. Another $2 billion will come from other sources and will pay for other projects in the initiative.
Dive Insight:
Airport renovations and new construction continue to create opportunities for designers and contractors as airport authorities race to meet the needs of a modern traveling public, as well as those of airlines with larger, international aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration provides billions of dollars annually for infrastructure improvements to airports around the U.S., but generally doesn't contribute to the sort of amenity-laden features in store for JFK. This year's Airport Improvement Program is worth $3.18 billion, and President Donald Trump's administration made a near $617 million allocation in August for 408 projects that included initiatives like $20 million for a noise mitigation project at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International.
It's not just airport operators in the U.S. that are looking to expand and renovate their facilities. According to Global Data, there are $737.3 billion of airport construction projects underway around the world. The U.S. leads the pack with $114.9 billion of airport-related projects.
