Multi-billion dollar overhaul planned for JFK Airport's Terminal 4
NEW YORK -- A massive, multi-billion dollar overhaul is on the way for Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens.
The expansion will close Terminal 2 but will usher in a host of upgrades for travelers at Terminal 4.
The announcement is part of a larger $13 billion overhaul of JFK Airport.
This $3.8 billion phase includes closing Terminal 2's 11 gates and replacing them with 16 new domestic gates at Terminal 4, which is the international terminal for Delta Air Lines and just got a major overhaul five years ago.
It would mean all of Delta's operations are moving under one roof.
Plans call for 500,000 square feet of new space, restaurants, amenities, new ticketing areas and improved road access.
"This expansion at Terminal 4 is a cornerstone in realizing the governor's vision to transform JFK Airport into a 21st century global gateway and to enable the airport to continue to serve the increasing passenger volumes projected over the next 30 years," Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said in a statement.
The announcement comes two years after an embarrassing and frustrating mess that left passengers stranded for hours. Bags were lost for weeks after a snowstorm crippled the major international hub.
Critics point to the fact that each of the airport's terminals operates independently of one another.
In the aftermath, JFK Airport built an emergency operations center, with the Port Authority taking some control away from individual airlines in the event of an emergency.
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