
John F. Kennedy International Airport, the busiest airport in the NYC area, is undergoing a major renovation that will likely mean major headaches for travelers.
Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority said “We apologize in advance,” referring to the coming summer travel season at the airport. “This summer we expect to set a record for summer travel through JFK and we expect to be absolutely at the peak of construction activity at the airport.”
JFK airport is undergoing a $19 billion redevelopment which will transform the airport into a state-of-the-art travel hub. However there is massive road construction that comes along with the redevelopment that is expected to create record traffic jams in and around the airport.
“Periodic lane closures can be expected on the highways accessing all of the terminals and you can also expect long-term traffic pattern changes and detours,” said Jessica Forse, the Project Executive.
Meanwhile, the TSA is predicting a nearly 12 percent increase in the number of travelers going through JFK on Memorial Day Weekend compared to the same weekend last year. So travelers be warned, and expect a headache when flying through JFK.
“I was at JFK recently and it is a mess. Just getting a taxi out can take an hour of waiting,” said Pauline Frommer, the Editorial Director of Frommer’s Travel Guide. “The TSA is saying this could be a record summer with more passengers going through all of our nation’s airports.”
The good news, says Frommer, is that if you can handle the crowds and construction, your wallet might be a bit better off.
“Prices are slightly down from last year,” Frommer said. “Six percent domestically, six to twelve percent internationally.”
The JFK redevelopment is expected to be completed in 2030.
Take the A train