Delta Air Lines to consolidate New York JFK operations following Terminal 4 makeover

Terminal 4 is the next to be slated for a makeover as part of the ongoing revival of New York's JFK Airport.

The project will include 16 new gates for domestic narrow-body aircraft, an expansion that would allow Delta Air Lines to consolidate its JFK operations into one building. Those new gates will be added onto the A concourse in the current T4 building, according to Lindsay Kryzak, a spokeswoman for the Port Authority. Terminal 4's expansion also will pave the way for the 58-year-old, 11-gate Terminal 2 to be demolished.

The space currently occupied by Terminal 2 will eventually be used to accommodate an expanded and upgraded Terminal 1.

The plans were unveiled Tuesday by Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Tuesday as part of a broader update to Terminal 4.

The facility's largest tenant is Delta, which currently splits its flights between T4 and T2. Terminal 4 also is home to a long list of mostly international carriers. The plan does not call for any airlines that currently use T4 to be relocated as part of the project.

As part of its effort to bring its JFK operations under one roof, Delta also plans to build a new Sky Club in Terminal 4's A Pier — a move frequent flyers can hope will help relieve congestion at the airline's famously crowded existing Terminal 4 Sky Club location in the B concourse.

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T4's expansion, and Delta's consolidation there, should be completed by 2023, but roads that lead to the building will continue being upgraded through about 2025, according to the statement.

"Delta is investing more in airport infrastructure today than at any other time in our history. With transformational projects now underway at both JFK and LaGuardia, we're creating the airports our New York customers have long deserved." Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. "We're looking forward to working with our partners at JFKIAT and the Port Authority to deliver a truly superior experience at JFK Terminal 4 that cements its status as a world-class global gateway for Delta customers."

The upcoming work at Terminal 4 is just one part of ongoing redevelopment at both JFK and LaGuardia Airport.

Last month, American Airlines and British Airways announced plans for a new Terminal 8 at JFK, that will eventually allow the Oneworld partners to operate out of a single terminal. A replaced Terminal 1 and an expanded Terminal 5, primarily occupied by JetBlue, are also part of the JFK redevelopment plan.

And in the fall, Delta opened a new concourse at LaGuardia, the latest in phase in the overhaul of that airport.

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