Major New York-Area Airports Revitalize

<B>Major New York-Area Airports Revitalize</B>

By Frank Rosci

Major long-term construction and expansion projects, costing $15 billion, under the umbrella and direction of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, continue at New York JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark International airports.

Among the latest plans to surface is Delta Air Lines' recent announcement that it will invest $1.6 billion to expand and redevelop space at three of New York JFK's terminals. The move is seen as greatly improving service for air travelers in New York and the Northeast in general, a Port Authority spokesman said. Upon completion of the project in 2004--Delta hopes to begin construction in 2001--passengers will benefit from more flights and convenient service to international and U.S. markets.

An advantage for the New York area will be economic increases tied to the impact of Delta's plan. "Delta's $1.6 billion investment puts New York at the center of the airline's Northeast expansion, creating 6,000 permanent new jobs and telling the industry that New York has re-emerged as a home for aviation," said New York Gov. George Pataki. It's estimated that Delta will contribute more than $12.3 billion to the New York economy by the same year.

The project encompasses three existing facilities at New York JFK: Terminals 2 and 3, which now are used by Delta for both domestic and international operations, and Terminal 4, formerly the airport's International Arrivals Building where a new terminal is being built. At this time, Delta doesn't use Terminal 4, but will move a significant portion of its operations there in 2004. Delta will work with the JFK International Air Terminal LLC and the Port Authority, operator of JFK, Newark International and LaGuardia, to complete expansion of the terminals.

As part of the project, Terminal 3 will be demolished, while Terminal 2 will be expanded from 10 to 20 gates to accommodate Delta's regional jet activity and to make room for much-needed off-gate parking of aircraft. Daily domestic flights are expected to increase from 36 to 140 departures by 2014, offering passengers more travel options. Planned expansion includes domestic long-haul routes and short-haul business markets in which regional jets operate.

At Terminal 4, which has been under construction since 1997, Delta has agreed to develop 1.5 million square feet of space. The terminal's B Concourse will be expanded from 10 to 26 gates; a separate arrivals hall will be added to the terminal's original design. Construction will proceed on the Delta expansion once the terminal opens in its original configuration in May 2001. Passengers will be able to choose from a projected 82 international flights by 2014, up dramatically from just 21 in 2000. The project's upgraded and new conveniences and services will include more than 80 ticket counters featuring state-of-the-art technology for faster passenger checkin in Terminals 2 and 4, curbside luggage checking for domestic passengers, a new, semi-automated baggage system, and the only internal AirTrain light rail station at JFK.

<B>Trains, Planes & Automobiles</B>

AirTrain, whose construction is a bit ahead of schedule, said Barry Abramowitz, assistant director of the aviation capital program at the Port Authority, will connect Manhattan and the airport, and will debut in 2002. Bi-level roadways, another new feature of the Delta project and JFK makeover, will offer passengers faster access to the airport, New York and surrounding areas.

"The new terminal facilities will afford Delta the opportunity to expand our services at JFK to offer passengers more convenient flights to the places they travel most," said Leo Mullin, chairman and CEO of Delta Air Lines.

Expansion at JFK represents a cornerstone of Delta's expansion in the Northeast over the next 20 years. The airline's expanded JFK facilities will serve as a key international gateway, providing worldwide access from New York on more than 175 combined daily departures by 2005 and 222 daily departures by 2014. To accommodate these new flights, Delta will consolidate its domestic and international flights in two separate terminals. In connection with its strategy in the Northeast, Delta also is embarking on a $358 million terminal improvement project at Boston Logan International Airport.

Following news of Delta's JFK project, the Port Authority and United Airlines have announced a $610 million plan to undertake a series of improvements at the airport, including the modernization of Terminal 5. In the project's first phase, United plans to invest $350 million to build a new terminal on part of the current Terminal 5 site, while preserving the integrity of the existing Main Terminal, also known as the Saarinen Building, from which TWA operates and which is eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Main Terminal comprises part of Terminal 5. The plan also is the first phase of a $1.2 billion public/private partnership to redevelop Terminals 5 and 6. The United project pushes the total investment in the airport's redevelopment, already the largest airport construction program in U.S. history, into the $10 billion range. The work, to be completed in 2005, will include 15 gates, additional ticketing and baggage areas, a new customs and immigration area for international passengers, as well as a full range of business travel services, such as first- and business-class lounges and kiosks with Internet access.

"United is excited about and committed to the opportunities this expansion at JFK will afford all of our customers today and in the future," said Jim Goodwin, United chairman and CEO. The Port Authority will invest $240 million in additional improvements adjacent to Terminals 5 and 6, including better roads and 1,500 new parking spaces. All nine of New York JFK's passenger terminals have been rebuilt recently or are in some phase of redevelopment.

<B>Newark, LaGuardia Upgrade</B>

At Newark International, work on a number of projects, investments totaling $3.8 billion, continues, the Port Authority's Barry Abramowitz said. Heading the list is the $415 million EWR Monorail Northeast Corridor Connection Program, which will extend the airport's current monorail system about one mile to connect with a new intermodal train/monorail station being built on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor between Newark's Penn Station and New Jersey Transit's North Elizabeth Station. Most of the heaviest construction has been completed, Abramowitz said.

Other work, including testing new monorail trains, is in progress. Service on the monorail extension is scheduled to begin in 2001. More than 3 million passengers a year are expected to use the system, Abramowitz said, which will offer travelers a long list of conveniences, including full-service passenger checkin and transfer of checked baggage, while reducing the area's auto traffic. Also at Newark, terminal upgrades continue and 6,600 new parking spaces are in the works at two multi-level structures.

Meanwhile at LaGuardia a complete renovation of the Central Terminal Building has been completed. Works in progress at the airport include reshaping its four concourses "to accommodate contemporary aircraft, and to handle both passenger and aircraft traffic more efficiently," Abramowitz said.

The project involves new 100-ft.- wide concourses, complete with first-class clubs and other services and amenities, such as concessions beyond the security checkpoint and gate sizes maximized to accommodate an aircraft mix that will include the Boeing 767-400, with all gates designed to accommodate the smaller Boeing 737-800.

"Work has begun on Concourses A, B and C to improve functionality and appearance. These are relatively minor improvements of $25 million compared with the hundreds of millions that will be needed for long-term redevelopment of the CTB," Abramowitz said. All the concourses are expected to be completed within the next 10 years.