Governor plans to improve JFK Aiport

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans on Jan. 4 for renovating John F. Kennedy International Airport similar to what is being done at LaGuardia Airport on the north side of Queens.

“We want to welcome you to the JFK Airport of the future: new amenities inside, streamlined transportation outside and new security measures,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo tweeted that plans include creating a unified and interconnected terminal; redesigning the onsite traffic pattern; centralizing parking lots; having what he called “world class amenities”; expanding the taxiways and ensuring the airport’s safety with state-of-the-art security.

Gert-Jan de Graaff, president and chief executive officer of JFKIAT LLC, the operator of Terminal 4, one of the most active terminals in the New York area, said he is looking forward to working with Cuomo and the Port Authority to implement these plans.

“As someone who has worked in and managed airports on four continents, I wholeheartedly share the governor’s belief that a world-class city such as New York should have a world-class airport as its gateway to the rest of the world,” de Graff said in a press release.

Terminal 4 opened in 2001 and has grown in passenger capacity from six million in that year to 20 million by the end of 2016. The terminal serves 32 international and domestic airlines.

Commenting on Twitter, Kevin Jace said, “JFK Airport is fine. Finish fixing the miserable roads leading to it. Two hours to go 13 miles is a little excessive.”