The single largest piece of John F. Kennedy International Airport’s multibillion-dollar overhaul reaches a milestone in 2026: the privately financed $9.5 billion New Terminal One is on track to open its first phase, bringing new arrivals and departures halls and the first set of 14 gates into service.

When complete, the New Terminal One will span roughly 2.6 million square feet with 23 widebody gates, making it the largest terminal at JFK. It is being built in stages on the south side of the airport, on the footprint of the old Terminals 1, 2 and 3, which are being demolished as construction advances. After the first phase opens this year, the existing Terminal 1 is slated to come down so the next phase can proceed, with full completion targeted for 2030.

A private build

Unlike the federally driven Penn Station rebuild across the river, the New Terminal One is being delivered by a private consortium. The lead developer is the Spanish infrastructure firm Ferrovial, working with JLC Infrastructure, Ullico and the Carlyle Group. The project is structured as a Port Authority concession, with the private partners financing, building and operating the terminal — one of the largest public-private infrastructure deals in U.S. aviation.

Jennifer Aument, chief executive of the New Terminal One, has cast the project as a bid to make JFK the “terminal of choice” for international airlines flying into New York.

The airlines

The terminal has been signing carriers steadily. More than two dozen international airlines have committed to operate from the New Terminal One, including Air Europa, Air France, KLM, Korean Air, SAS, China Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, EVA Air, Etihad and China Eastern Airlines, among others. Air Europa, in announcing its move, framed New York as one of its most strategic markets — a signal of how central the new terminal is becoming to transatlantic and SkyTeam-aligned service.

Part of a bigger overhaul

The New Terminal One is the anchor of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s roughly $19 billion transformation of JFK, a program meant to replace the airport’s dated, fragmented terminals with modern, naturally lit facilities. On the airport’s north side, a separate new Terminal 6 is rising, and the program includes new roadways and supporting infrastructure. The Port Authority has pitched the whole effort as bringing JFK up to the standard of the world’s top-rated international gateways.

For travelers, the first tangible payoff arrives this year, when the first 14 gates and the new halls open and the first international flights begin moving through the south-side terminal.

Verification

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the New Terminal One open?
The first phase — the new arrivals and departures halls and the first set of 14 gates — is expected to open in 2026. The terminal is being built in phases, with all 23 gates and full completion targeted for 2030.
How big is it and who is building it?
At completion the New Terminal One will span about 2.6 million square feet with 23 gates, making it JFK's largest terminal. It is being delivered by a private consortium led by Ferrovial with JLC Infrastructure, Ullico and the Carlyle Group, on a site that held the old Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
Which airlines will use it?
More than 20 international carriers have committed, including Air Europa, Air France, KLM, Korean Air, SAS, China Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and China Eastern Airlines.
How does it fit into the broader JFK redevelopment?
The New Terminal One is the centerpiece of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's roughly $19 billion transformation of JFK, which also includes a new Terminal 6 on the airport's north side and supporting roadway and infrastructure work.