American Airlines and British Airways have broken ground on a $344 million expansion of American’s Terminal 8 at New York’s JFK, the first step in NY Gov. Cuomo’s planned $13 billion redevelopment of the airport.
The expansion of Terminal 8, to be completed within two years, will allow British Airways to join its alliance and joint-venture partner in the same terminal, allowing better coordination between their trans-Atlantic services and American’s onward domestic flights.
When BA moves in, that will free its former home, Terminal 7, originally built by its predecessor, BOAC, to be torn down, along with Terminal 6, to be replaced by a new North Terminal. In later stages, a new 23-gate South Terminal will replace the existing Terminals 1 and 2, with a connection to the massive Terminal 4. The North Terminal will serve as a 12-gate expansion of JetBlue’s Terminal 5.
BA and American together are the #3 carrier at the airport, behind Delta and JetBlue. Delta will be a major South Terminal occupant.
