NEW YORK, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and JFK Millennium Partners (JMP), the consortium building a new Terminal 6, recently celebrated a key milestone in the transformation of John F. Kennedy International Airport, where members of organized labor hoisted into position the final piece of structural steel for the first phase of the 1.2 million-square-foot terminal. The terminal will feature expansive, naturally lit public spaces, new technology, public art, and an array of amenities designed to enhance the customer experience, making it a critical piece of the Port Authority’s $19 billion transformation of JFK into a global gateway.
A tradition in major infrastructure works, the topping-out ceremony commemorated the efforts of construction professionals and the men and women of organized labor to maintain safe and on-time construction. Terminal 6 is scheduled to open in phases, beginning with the completion of the arrivals and departures hall and the first five gates in 2026. The second phase, including five additional gates, will open in 2028, completing the terminal. Terminal 6 construction is creating 4,000 jobs, including 1,800 union jobs in construction.
"Today marks a major milestone in the transformation of JFK International that will set a new standard for travel in New York," Hochul said at the event. "This state-of-the-art development would not have been possible without our skilled union workers and partners, and I look forward to continuing our work with them to build a more efficient, interconnected New York."
Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton, Port Authority Vice Chair Jeffrey Lynford, JMP Board Chair George Casey, JMP CEO Steve Thody, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty, as well as U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., and Gary LaBarbera, the President of the Executive Board for the New York Building Trades, joined the governor to sign the beam before it was raised.
The final beam is adorned with an American flag and an evergreen tree, symbolizing good luck and continued safe construction and operations. It bears the signature of hundreds of partners, employees, and stakeholders who are contributing to the development of the new Terminal 6.
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“We’re thrilled to celebrate [the] steel-topping out milestone at JFK Terminal 6, an exciting and important achievement on our journey towards opening in 2026," Thody said. "I’m grateful to our extraordinary JMP team and our 900-strong Terminal 6 workforce, who are committed to building a safe, state-of-the-art new home for our airline partners and their passengers — both here in New York and around the globe.”
Terminal 6 is being delivered via a public-private partnership between the Port Authority and JMP — a consortium composed of Vantage Group, ATI, RXR, and JetBlue Airways, with AECOM Hunt as its design-build joint venture partner. Spanning 1.2 million square feet, it will occupy the site of the former Terminal 6 and the existing Terminal 7 when completed. The new Terminal 6 will feature 10 gates, 10,000 square feet of amenities, custom artwork and architecture, digital technology, and sustainable operations — all delivered with the expertise of many minority, women-owned, service-disabled, veteran-owned, and local business enterprises.
The new Terminal 6 is a key part of the $19 billion redevelopment of JFK, which also includes a New Terminal One anchoring the south side of the airport; the modernization and expansion of terminals 4 and 8; and an entirely new, simplified airport roadway network. The entire airport redevelopment includes $15 billion in private investment for terminals and $3.9 billion in Port Authority funding for roadway and infrastructure improvements.
