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With 2.6 million square feet — nearly the size of the Empire State Building lying down — the New Terminal One at New York’s JFK Airport is the largest airport project in the United States, costing $9.5 billion and opening its first phase in 2026
The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy Airport will be the largest standalone terminal in the United States when completed.
It will have 241,000 square meters of built area — equivalent to five Eiffel Towers in structural steel.
The project is part of a $19 billion renovation that is transforming the entire JFK.
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The first phase, with 14 boarding gates, will open in mid-2026.
The timing is no coincidence: the FIFA World Cup 2026 will have games at MetLife Stadium, adjacent to the airport.
According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the terminal will have a total of 23 gates — 22 of them for wide-body aircraft — and a capacity for 14 million passengers per year just in the first phase.
The largest public-private airport partnership in the U.S.
The project is led by the New Terminal One (NTO) consortium, the largest public-private partnership in the American airport sector.
The main investor is Ferrovial Airports, a Spanish company responsible for design, construction, and operation.
Partners include JLC Infrastructure, Ullico, and Carlyle.
The architectural firm Gensler is responsible for the design.
Construction is being carried out by AECOM Tishman, with structural engineering by Thornton Tomasetti.
The project generates over 10,000 jobs between construction and operation.
The concession will last until 2060.
13,000 solar panels on the roof — the largest solar array in New York
The New Terminal One is not just large. It is designed to be the most sustainable terminal in New York.
The roof will feature 13,000 solar panels — the largest rooftop solar array in the entire city.
The terminal supports electric ground support equipment (eGSE) and energy-efficient systems.
The message is clear: the largest airport terminal in the U.S. will also be the greenest.
Shopping without duty-free and 27,000 m² of stores and restaurants
The terminal will have over 27,000 square meters dedicated to shopping, restaurants, lounges, and recreational areas.
This is more than half of the total communal space.
One of the innovations is the first “cash-and-carry” duty-free experience at an airport in the United States.
Currently, in American duty-free, passengers buy but only pick up at the boarding gate.
At the New Terminal One, it will be possible to buy and take it immediately — as is done in Europe.
Airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Air New Zealand, Etihad Airways, Air China, and China Airlines will operate at the terminal.
Three old terminals out, one giant in
The New Terminal One will replace the current Terminals 1 and 2, as well as the space of the old Terminal 3.
The original Terminal 1 has been operating since 1998 — it is nearly 30 years old.
The JFK renovation began planning between 2019 and 2021.
Construction started in 2022, with financial close on June 10, 2022.
The final phase will be completed in 2030.
JFK is transitioning from being a “tolerated” airport to becoming a “desired destination,” according to the project’s leaders.
How the new JFK compares to other airports around the world
With 241,000 square meters, the New Terminal One is comparable in scale to the largest terminals on the planet.
In the U.S., only Denver Airport has a main terminal of similar size.
It is three times larger than Grand Central Madison, New York’s new train station.
Globally, it competes with hubs like Changi (Singapore), Dubai, and Istanbul.
The difference is that JFK is doing this with private money — it is the largest airport PPP in American history.
The race against the clock for the 2026 World Cup
The pressure to open Phase 1 in mid-2026 is real.
The World Cup will have games at MetLife Stadium, less than 30 km from JFK.
Millions of international fans will be landing in New York.
The terminal needs to be operational for this demand.
So far, the project is on schedule.
The baggage systems and check-in counters are already installed, and the structure is “weather-tight” — protected against the elements.
What could change
The total area varies in sources between 2.4 and 2.6 million square feet — a difference equivalent to an entire office building.
The capacity of 14 million passengers is for Phase 1; the final number with all 23 gates has not been publicly detailed.
Potential delays have not been reported so far, but projects of this scale rarely escape without unforeseen issues.
The cost of $9.5 billion may increase by the completion in 2030.
Still, what has already been built is impressive.
In a few months, New York will have the airport terminal it always should have had.
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