JFK Airport’s Terminal 8 to get $344M upgrade

The transformation of John F. Kennedy International Airport into a so-called “21st century gateway” continues apace, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo announcing today that British Airways and American Airlines will invest $344 million to upgrade Terminal 8, which currently serves as a hub for the latter.

As part of the agreement, British Airways will move its operations to the new space from Terminal 7. In 2017, JetBlue issued a request for qualifications to construct a new terminal, which will be located on the north side of the airport and connect to its existing space at Terminal 5.

In a statement, Cuomo called the agreement “an extraordinary private investment that will turn JFK into a truly modern airport.”

The new Terminal 8 will get an additional 70,400 square feet of space, nearly half of which will be devoted to outdoor space. More wide-body gates (which are better for international flights), better concessions, and a revamped check-in area are also part of the improvement plans.

Although this is part of the larger $13 billion plan to revamp JFK Airport, T8’s renovation will be completed without funding from the Port Authority; American Airlines will pay for the upgrade, and British Airways will be the tenant, according to the Wall Street Journal.