New York JFK’s $19B rebuild: The giant, new Terminal One is just a year away

John F. Kennedy International Airport's $19 billion glow-up is nearing its first major milestone: the opening of two new terminals next year.

The largest of those, the new Terminal One, is set to open in June 2026, Jennifer Aument, CEO of New Terminal One (the private company overseeing the project) said at an event Monday announcing China Airlines as a tenant in the facility. The eventually 2.6 million square-foot space will house at least 15 airlines, including Air France, China Airlines, Etihad Airways, Korean Air and Turkish Airlines, when the 13-gate (plus one temporary gate) first phase opens.

"Building a new terminal the size of LaGuardia Airport is no small feat," Manny Ciminiello, deputy general manager of JFK Airport at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said at the Monday event. The new Terminal One alone is the same size as the new terminals B and C at LaGuardia combined.

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Across the sea of construction at JFK, the 1.2 million square-foot new Terminal 6 is expected to open in early 2026. Air Canada, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Cathay Pacific, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue and Lufthansa are among the anchor airlines in the new 10-gate terminal.

All told, Aument expects around 50 airlines to change terminal locations at JFK in 2026 — or more than two-thirds of those at the airport.

The two terminal projects together, plus updates to JetBlue's Terminal 5 and American Airlines' Terminal 8, make up the more than $19 billion in improvements underway at JFK that, when all said and done, aspire to turn what once was among America's worst airports into one of its best.

And that is a big deal for international travelers: JFK is by far the largest international air gateway to the U.S. It saw 17.5 million international travelers arrive at its gates in 2024, or nearly 50% more than the next largest gateway, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data shows.

Following the China Airlines announcement, Aument led one of the last hardhat tours of the new Terminal One before it opens in a year's time.

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Check out JFK's new Terminal One

The first thing any visitor notices is the sheer scale of the new terminal. It envelops the JFK AirTrain that runs through its core, with the ticketing hall soaring above the aircraft ramp and planes beyond.

The terminal itself is a large, light-filled box with a roof that slopes down to a central axis. The design by Gensler was inspired by a butterfly, but is also reminiscent of a bowtie, said Aument.

The building is weathertight and work outfitting the interior — the shops and restaurants, lounges, and other spaces — is underway.

Terminal One will feature 300,000 square feet of "dining, retail, lounges and recreational space" when complete, according to specifications from New Terminal One. Six lounges are planned, including five "airside," or post-security, and one landside for arriving travelers.

Air France-KLM, Korean Air and Turkish Airlines will operate three of the five airside lounges.

Aument declined to name any of the planned concessionaires, saying they would be unveiled soon. She did, however, indicate that they would highlight both beloved New York brands and international cuisine.

The centerpiece of the new Terminal One is the third-floor ticketing lobby or, as Aument put it, a "very grand space." At 100,000 square feet it is massive and, thanks to the sloping ceiling supported by massive structural "trees," is designed to intuitively guide travelers through the space, to security, and on to the gate areas and world beyond.

The design emphasizes what has become a hallmark of contemporary airport architecture: transparency. In theory, travelers will be able to see from the drop-off curb through the terminal building to the aircraft apron beyond, giving them a sense of the journey to come from the moment they enter the new Terminal One. That view is possible today; however, the future Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint could obstruct that panorama.

The checkpoint will feature 14 screening lanes at the back of the ticketing hall when complete.

Missing from the very much under construction space is any artwork. A signature "Instagrammable" piece visible throughout the terminal will be installed at the end of the central axis after security, said Aument. More art is planned throughout the space, including a "celestial" piece in the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hall.

Following security, travelers will descend to the departures level where they can go shopping, check out a lounge or proceed to their gate.

One of the most notable — and unique — features of the new Terminal One is the CBP waiting area. Like at many global gateways, arriving international travelers will deplane and proceed to border control on the upper level of the concourse. But unlike many other airports, they will not then drop down to the basement for CBP; instead, arriving travelers enter a third-floor customs hall filled with light from the skylights above. Only after that do they descend to the basement to claim their luggage and exit to the U.S.

"This is where we officially welcome people to New York," Aument said of the customs hall. "There is no basement CBP."

The final stop on the tour was baggage claim. Tucked in the basement, this space truly feels subterranean, even with the high ceilings. However, donut-shaped lighting fixtures are already installed and will brighten the space when complete.

When complete, phase A of the new Terminal One will sit on the site of the former terminals 2 and 3 at JFK. Once it opens, work will begin on demolishing the existing Terminal 1 that dates to 1998 where phase B with an additional nine gates, plus one replacing the temporary gate, is scheduled to open in 2030.