British Airways announces move to JFK Terminal 8
The airline said $344 million would be spent over the next four years to refurbish the terminal, ahead of a move in 2022
British Airways has announced it will move from Terminal 7 to Terminal 8 at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport in 2022. The airline said $344 million would be spent over the next four years to refurbish the terminal, which BA will share with its joint venture partner American Airlines. Between them the airlines operate up to 70 flights a day from London to the US.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the operator of JFK, will be a key investor in the project, along with American. Changes to Terminal 8 will include additional ticketing counters, new baggage systems, new lounges, premium check-in areas and upgraded concessions.
With the move some four years away, BA said it “remains committed to improving its customer experience at JFK”. In October it finished a long-awaited refurbishment of its first class lounge at Terminal 7, part of a $67 million investment in facilities at Terminal 7. The airline has further promised to invest $8.4 billion in new aircraft, cabins, catering, lounges, WiFi and routes over five years.
“We’re excited to announce our move to Terminal 8, alongside American Airlines, our Atlantic joint-business partner,” said Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to working with the Port Authority and American Airlines to continue building a world-class transatlantic travel experience in our new home from 2022.”
Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton commented:
“American Airlines and British Airways have joined the extraordinary efforts underway to make John F. Kennedy International the world-class airport our customers expect and deserve. This is a turning point in JFK’s history. We are responding to record numbers of passengers with record levels of infrastructure investment. We also will ensure best-in-class customer service is part of these initiatives, as work begins on transforming JFK into a worthy gateway to the United States.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has released plans for a $13 billion expansion project at JFK that would increase capacity by 15 million passengers a year. It will see a $7 billion, 2.9 million square foot terminal on the airport’s south side occupy the area where the existing Terminals 1 and 2 are located, in addition to the area left vacant when Terminal 3 was demolished in 2014.
The new south side terminal will be developed by the Terminal One Group, a consortium of four international airlines—Lufthansa, Air France, Japan Airlines and Korean Air Lines. Meanwhile JetBlue is constructing a $3 billion, 1.2 million square foot new terminal on the airport’s north side that will connect to the airline’s existing Terminal 5.
