American Airlines and British Airways to Invest $344M in JFK Airport

British Airways and American Airlines have reached an agreement to invest $344m in upgrading Terminal 8 in New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

The companies will invest the money over the next three years to prepare for the co-location in 2022.

Between them the airlines operate up to 70 flights a day from London to the US.

With the move some four years away, BA said it “remains committed to improving its customer experience at JFK”. In October it finished a long-awaited refurbishment of its first class lounge at Terminal 7, part of a £52 million investment in facilities at Terminal 7.

The airline has further promised to invest £6.5 billion in new aircraft, cabins, catering, lounges, Wi-Fi and routes over five years.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said:

“We’re excited to announce our move to Terminal 8, alongside American Airlines, our Atlantic joint-business partner.

“Offering the best customer experience at JFK now and in the future is a top priority. We look forward to working with the Port Authority and American Airlines to continue building a world-class transatlantic travel experience in our new home from 2022.”

Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton commented:

“American Airlines and British Airways have joined the extraordinary efforts underway to make John F. Kennedy International the world-class airport our customers expect and deserve.

“This is a turning point in JFK’s history. We are responding to record numbers of passengers with record levels of infrastructure investment. We also will ensure best-in-class customer service is part of these initiatives, as work begins on transforming JFK into a worthy gateway to the United States.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has released plans for a $13 billion expansion project at JFK that would increase capacity by 15 million passengers a year.

It will see a $7 billion, 2.9 million square foot terminal on the airport’s south side occupy the area where the existing Terminals 1 and 2 are located, in addition to the area left vacant when Terminal 3 was demolished in 2014.

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