13 hours ago
America's sixth busiest airport warns of summer travel chaos that could ruin your vacation
Airport officials are hoping travelers leave their car keys at home.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — the agency that oversees airports and bridges around the city — is urging flyers to take the train if they're heading to JFK.
'We are once again asking travelers to leave their cars at home and take public transit to the airport,' Kevin O'Toole, the agency's chairman, said.
'Yes, there will be some temporary inconvenience. But it's all part of building an airport our region can be proud of — for decades to come.'
JFK, New York's busiest airport, is in the middle of a $19 billion overhaul that will stretch through the summer. Port Authority says the project is about to hit a 'peak.'
At the same time, the agency is also expecting record-setting crowds during popular travel months.
To ease congestion, they're incentivizing passengers to opt for transit.
Suitcase-toting passengers will pay half the normal fare — just $4.25 instead of $8.50 — on the airport's AirTrain this summer.
Passengers can catch the monorail train from stops along the Long Island Rail Road and New York's Subway.
Meanwhile, drivers who brave the construction might run into a problem once they reach the airport: the agency said parking during construction will be 'extremely limited.'
'We apologize for any inconvenience, but we promise that a new JFK is just around the corner, with the first new gates opening next year,' Rick Cotton, the agency's top boss, said.
The construction will bring two brand-new terminals, modernize two existing concourses, and rework the surrounding highway system by 2030.
Port Authority is scheduling construction in phases to ensure the hard hats don't interfere with the record-setting crowds.
The next phase, the completion of terminal one, will likely finish in 2026.
For passengers, the rebuild is long overdue. JFK has struggled with aging terminals, outdated technology, slow service, and a string of delays.
Flight fears
As JFK prepares for a record number of summertime passengers, the rest of the US expects fewer flights.
Multiple airlines have announced that they're cutting back domestic flight schedules after seeing a massive slowdown in ticket sales.
On Wednesday, JetBlue announced it was slashing dozens of flights from its US forecast as a cost-saving move.
Southwest Airlines and United also made similar announcements.
The schedule slashings come as America's aviation industry has been tarred by a series of front-page stories, making consumers question safety in the skies.
Newark International Airport experienced a series of temporary outages affecting air traffic controllers. Airlines have reported terrifying near-misses. Multiple planes have crashed this year.
At the same time, American consumers are cutting their retail spending after battling years of inflation.
The toxic mix of decreased flight confidence and lower consumer spending has made airline executives increasingly somber.
Heading into 2025, United, Delta, and American all believed they were on pace for record-setting years.
Now, nearly every airline is just trying to turn a profit.
