Delta Air Lines opened an 11-gate expansion to its facilities at New York John F Kennedy International airport today, allowing it to consolidate the majority of regional flights in terminal 4.
The roughly $200 million project brings the majority of the Atlanta-based SkyTeam Alliance carrier’s regional operations at JFK into the same terminal as its mainline operations, a move that is expected to improve operations and ease connections for passengers.
“With JFK being the bridge to the world, this $200 million project significantly enhances the travel experience for our customers with connecting flights at JFK,” says Gail Grimmett, head of New York for Delta, at a ribbon cutting today. The official ceremony follows a soft opening for the concourse on 8 January.
She adds that about 65% of Delta Connection passengers through JFK connect to other flights.
The new gates, which begin at B42, replace the “horseshoe” that serves regional flights in terminal 2 at the airport. Glen Hauenstein, chief revenue officer of Delta, said in December that the horseshoe will be taken down and replaced by up to three mainline gates following renovations to the terminal.
“[This is] probably the last component in New York that has kept us from having a competitive product,” he said on the new terminal 4 facilities.
Delta will continue to operate around 40 flights a day, or as much as 30% of its schedule, from terminal 2 at JFK for the foreseeable future, says Grimmett.
A future third phase expansion of the airline’s facilities at JFK that would consolidate its operations in one terminal is still “percolating”, she says. However, “everyone” – including Delta, terminal 4 operator JFK IAT and airport operator the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) – has their “own ideas” on what that expansion should look like.
“We’re not done investing,” says Grimmett.
Delta is the largest at JFK with an at least 42% share of passengers during the year ending September 2014, US Department of Transportation data shows. JetBlue Airways is the second largest carrier with a 24.3% market share and American Airlines is third with an at least 14.4% share.
Airlines continue to improve their facilities at JFK. Air France opened new lounge facilities in terminal 1 in December and JetBlue Airways opened a new international arrivals facility to in terminal 5 in November.
“The unveiling of the terminal today is exactly what governor [Andrew] Cuomo is calling for,” says Patrick Foye, executive director of PANYNJ, at the ribbon cutting.
Governor Cuomo announced plans to speed projects and modernise facilities at JFK and New York LaGuardia airport a year ago this month.
Delta’s latest terminal 4 expansion cost about $25 million more than initial estimates of $175 million in 2013. However, the facilities also opened at least three months ahead of schedule.
The carrier has invested more than $2 billion in its facilities in New York in recent years. Investments have included renovations to terminal C at LaGuardia and the first phase of its expansion at JFK that included a seven gate extension on concourse B.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
