A few months after ground was broken on the $9.5 billion New Terminal One project, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the financing and approval of a new $4.2 billion Terminal 6 at JFK Airport that will serve as the final piece of the airport’s multi-year transformation upon completion in 2028.

The terminal will be developed in two phases beginning next year, with the first stage expected to open in 2026. It will have space for 10 gates in its 1.2-million-square-foot plan, with typical retail and dining options included along with an offering of touchless check-in technology, biometric security controls, and the space to accommodate for regulatory changes and further technology upgrades in the future.

JFK will demolish the aging Terminal 7 following the conclusion of the first phase of construction, and its current tenant British Airways will be relocated inside the newly-modernized Terminal 8, that is set to debut next month. Terminal 6’s construction will be led by its main tenant JetBlue (who will share the space with Lufthansa) and financed through a public-private partnership formed by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the JFK Millennium Partners group that includes RXR and other financial stakeholders. 

In a press statement, Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said it was “a vote of confidence in our vision for a new JFK and in the future of our region.”

JFK is in the midst of a three-pronged redevelopment process that includes the New Terminal One from Gensler; the $1.5 billion remaking of Terminal 4 by SOM for Delta; and the expansion of Terminal 8, whose $400 million cost brings the project’s upgrades to $18 billion when combined with adjacent infrastructure and roadway improvements, according to the state.

An architect for the project has yet to be named. At the announcement, Hochul said: “JFK International — the nation's door to the world — will soon be worthy of New Yorkers, providing an unparalleled passenger experience. This historic $18 billion investment will not only transform JFK into a world-class airport but also create 4,000 jobs in the process.”