Anniversary 2001
The Sky's The Limit:
The Plane Facts About JFK Airport |
Like the lady in New York
Harbor, JFK International Airport is a beacon to travelers to the United States.
A bird’s eye view of JFK. |
Scores of immigrants have made their way through the bustling gateway
which is about to undergo some major "21st century" changes.
The 54-year-old airport, once dubbed "Idlewild," stands at the threshold of
major economic development. The AirTrain, when completed, will speed travelers from the
airport to the hub of downtown Jamaica (and vice-versa) and will connect with mass transit
for added convenience. A multi-billion dollar renovation project will soon change the face
of JFK. Planners are also projecting the construction of a national-chain hotel at the
AirTrain station in Jamaica within the next few years, bringing air travel in the
world’s greatest city to exciting new heights.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) has been operated by The
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey under a lease with the City of New York since
June 1, 1947.
JFK is located in the southeastern section of Queens County on Jamaica
Bay. It is fifteen miles by highway from midtown Manhattan.
JFK consists of 4,930 acres, including 880 acres in the central terminal
area. The airport has more than 30 miles of roadways and is 12.7 feet above sea level.
Construction began in April 1942, when the City of New York contracted
for the placing of hydraulic fill over the marshy tidelands on the site of Idlewild Golf
Course. Planned at first for l,000 acres, the airport grew to five times that size.
JFK is currently in the midst of
a multi-billion dollar renovation project that will bring it up to speed with travel in
the 21st Century.
PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen
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The first commercial flights began on
July 1, 1948. The airport, originally dedicated as "New York International
Airport" on July 31, 1948, was renamed Idlewild Airport in December, 1948 because of
its link to the Idlewild Golf Course. The golf course acquired its name from an old Indian
name for the area – "Idalwilde" – or peaceful and savage. Idlewild
Airport was renamed in December, 1963 in memory of President John F. Kennedy. It was
rededicated
on December 24, 1963, as
John F. Kennedy International Airport, following action of the Mayor
and Council of the City of New York and a resolution of the Commissioners of the Port
Authority.
About $150 million was expended on original construction. Through
December 1998 the Port Authority’s capital investment in the airport was
approximately $3 billion.
EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMIC IMPACT |
There are over 37,000 people employed at the airport. JFK contributes
$22 billion in economic activity to the NY/NJ metropolitan region generating some 207,700
jobs and $7.1 billion in wages and salaries.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER |
A new Air Traffic Control Tower, constructed on the ramp-side of
Terminal 4, began full FAA operations in October 1994. At 321 feet, the new tower is one
of the tallest in North America after Denver International’s new tower. The FAA cab
and an Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE) radar unit sit atop 1,620 yards of
cast-in-place concrete.
JFK’s new control tower provides improved observation of aeronautical areas, and
state-of-the-art electronic equipment for FAA operations.
LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM |
The new Terminal 4 at JFK has been hailed as a major milestone in the
$10.3 billion redevelopment of the airport — one of the largest airport
reconstruction projects in the world.
The state-of-the–art terminal, which opened in May of this year,
is expected to change travel at JFK.
Terminal 4 is expected to set
the standard for airports around the world.
PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen
|
"Terminal 4 sets a standard by
which terminals will be measured at airports around the world," Lewis Eisenberg,
chairman of the Port Authority said at last month’s opening of the terminal.
"The design is exceptionally appealing and convenient, and JFK International
Air Terminal LLC has brought in first-rate restaurants and shops."
Port Authority Vice Chairman Charles
Gargano has called the new terminal a "tremendous economic engine for the Borough of
Queens, New York City, and the region’s tourism industry."
Construction of the terminal is part of the
airport’s $9 billion program to upgrade.
With a concourse of high-profile
shops and ways to make flying easier, airport officials are calling Terminal 4 a
tremendous economic engine for Queens.
PRESS Photo by Ira Cohen |
Other highlights of JFK’s
Redevelopment Program include the completion of AirTrain – the eight-mile, $1.9
billion light-rail system that will provide a ride to Kennedy Airport, and mark the
critical first step toward the creation of a one-seat ride from Manhattan to JFK. AirTrain
also will speed travelers from terminal to terminal, making airline transfers fast and
easy. AirTrain’s terminal-to-terminal service will start next year, along with the
AirTrain connection to the new Howard Beach Station and the A Train Service to the new
Jamaica Station will begin in 2003, linking JFK to Jamaica and the LIRR, as well as subway
and bus lines.
• JOHN F. KENNEDY AIRPORT BY THE NUMBERS • |
Year |
Plane
Movements |
Passengers |
Air Cargo
(tons) |
Air Mail
(tons) |
1949* |
18,115 |
222,620 |
4,580 |
1,150 |
1960 |
248,686 |
8,803,665 |
138,055 |
44,118 |
| 1970 |
365,848 |
19,096,705 |
759,546 |
143,882 |
| 1980 |
307,527 |
26,796,066 |
1,169,815 |
142,406 |
| 1988 |
304,490 |
31,165,676 |
1,300,886 |
131,423 |
| 1989 |
305,058 |
30,323,077 |
1,387,963 |
124,984 |
| 1990 |
303,716 |
29,794,350 |
1,331,182 |
126,871 |
| 1991 |
277,761 |
26,229,068 |
1,383,646 |
101,277 |
| 1992 |
323,448 |
27,760,912 |
1,383,842 |
105,787 |
| 1993 |
333,813 |
26,796,849 |
1,413,903 |
109,943 |
| 1994 |
343,599 |
28,819,243 |
1,499,121 |
112,528 |
| 1995 |
340,098 |
30,375,378 |
1,637,677 |
117,526 |
| 1996 |
355,214 |
31,155,411 |
1,667,550 |
136,746 |
| 1998 |
343,429 |
31,044,595 |
1,612,743 |
148,187 |
| 1999 |
339,597 |
31,103,366 |
1,633,335 |
149,682 |
*First full calendar year of Port Authority Operations.
– Statistics courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey |
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