Now that BA and the rest of oneworld are moving to T8, we are beginning the process of a new JFK. T2 and T7 will be demolished within the next few years and there are plans to develop a brand new terminal one and six.

The issue is that in the near future JFK is going to be laid out: Terminal 1, Terminal 4, Terminal 5, and Terminal 8. While we may be used to it, the airport should change nomenclature.

The idea I had was switching to a letter based terminal layout with scaling gates (EWR and LGA do this). Have it be Terminal A, B, C, and D. This way you can also have each terminal ascend gates instead of each starting over at gate 1.

The other idea was to name the terminal based on its theme. International Terminal One, International Terminal Two, Delta Terminal, Jetblue, and OneWorld. This is wordy and not many airports do this.

Numbers could go to 1-4 also, but judging on how these terminals use the numbers as part of their identity (see T1 or T5) that won’t really work.

Personally, I feel that the PA wants to keep the current numbers in place, especially since the new plan uses the current numbers. Maybe JFK will pull a CDG and have T1-T6 be the same number but different letter with the Terminal Eight being separate.

Interested to know what the forum thinks or knows.

Don't forget that part of BA (and others) moving to T8 is that T7 is being torn down to make room for the new T6. The current final configuration will be T1, T4, T5, T6, and T8. I agree that some form of renumbering is probably in order once all the terminal development is complete.

I vote for:

New-T1 > to "Terminal A"
Old-T4 > to "Terminal B",
Old-T5 > to "Terminal C",
New-T6 > to "Terminal D" and
Old-T8 > to "Terminal E".

This is simple, keeps them in physical order, as well as removing any historical reference to older and long-gone terminals......

LBBflyer wrote:

Don't forget that part of BA (and others) moving to T8 is that T7 is being torn down to make room for the new T6. The current final configuration will be T1, T4, T5, T6, and T8. I agree that some form of renumbering is probably in order once all the terminal development is complete.

If I recall won’t T1 be connected to T4? Does T4 have any planned work (DL had pre-pandemic plans)?

I did forget that they are designating the new JB area as T6. Will be interesting to see how they allocate flights there. I enjoy T5.

Honestly they could probably do T1/T4 as “Terminal 1A 1B”, T5/T6 as “Terminal 2A 2B”, and T8 as “Terminal 3.”

LBBflyer wrote:

Don't forget that part of BA (and others) moving to T8 is that T7 is being torn down to make room for the new T6. The current final configuration will be T1, T4, T5, T6, and T8. I agree that some form of renumbering is probably in order once all the terminal development is complete.

T7 will remain operational until T6 is complete. T6 is not being built on the footprint of T7, but rather in the aircraft parking lot between T5 and T7.

avianca707359b wrote:

I vote for:

New-T1 > to "Terminal A"
Old-T4 > to "Terminal B",
Old-T5 > to "Terminal C",
New-T6 > to "Terminal D" and
Old-T8 > to "Terminal E".

This is simple, keeps them in physical order, as well as removing any historical reference to older and long-gone terminals......

Agreed. And it aligns better with the other NYC airports (using letters instead of numbers)

This is all a moot point. Leave them as they are.
Every car service driver and local knows where they are going with them as is.

ContinentalEWR wrote:

LBBflyer wrote:

Don't forget that part of BA (and others) moving to T8 is that T7 is being torn down to make room for the new T6. The current final configuration will be T1, T4, T5, T6, and T8. I agree that some form of renumbering is probably in order once all the terminal development is complete.

T7 will remain operational until T6 is complete. T6 is not being built on the footprint of T7, but rather in the aircraft parking lot between T5 and T7.

This isn’t true. T6 phase 1 will encompass the parking area, but phase 2 will take over all the real estate between T5 and the JFK expressway including the current t7 air train station.

N757ST wrote:

ContinentalEWR wrote:

LBBflyer wrote:

Don't forget that part of BA (and others) moving to T8 is that T7 is being torn down to make room for the new T6. The current final configuration will be T1, T4, T5, T6, and T8. I agree that some form of renumbering is probably in order once all the terminal development is complete.

T7 will remain operational until T6 is complete. T6 is not being built on the footprint of T7, but rather in the aircraft parking lot between T5 and T7.

This isn’t true. T6 phase 1 will encompass the parking area, but phase 2 will take over all the real estate between T5 and the JFK expressway including the current t7 air train station.

I meant to say Phase I but either way, T7 isn't fully being demolished until a later date. There are still airlines operating out of there and a need for gates given all the construction about to accelerate at JFK. The BA signage was removed this week.

I’m sure they will stay the same. JetBlue has done so much marketing for T5 and JFKIAT has with Terminal 4. Just look at their website. They are not going to change. But one thing that will change is signage within terminals. All will be standardized and same font, colors, etc… Called the “One JFK” project.
The new signage at Newark Terminal A looks excellent. I imagine that’s how it will look at JFK.

Let's not forget that British Airways T7 was originally BOAC T5. I remember when it opened. Prior to T5 BOAC flights arrived at the International Arrivals Building - IAB.

BOACJrJet wrote:

Let's not forget that British Airways T7 was originally BOAC T5. I remember when it opened. Prior to T5 BOAC flights arrived at the International Arrivals Building - IAB.

The terminal was known as the BOAC Terminal then later T7. It was never at any point T5. BOAC terminal was the newest one until the redevelopment of JFK began again with the new T1 and T4 in the late 90s, and was never the 5th terminal when current naming convention was set into place.

Polot wrote:

The terminal was known as the BOAC Terminal then later T7. It was never at any point T5. BOAC terminal was the newest one until the redevelopment of JFK began again with the new T1 and T4 in the late 90s.

hmmm - you may be correct. I might have been thinking of the parking signage.

avianca707359b wrote:

I vote for:

New-T1 > to "Terminal A"
Old-T4 > to "Terminal B",
Old-T5 > to "Terminal C",
New-T6 > to "Terminal D" and
Old-T8 > to "Terminal E".

This is simple, keeps them in physical order, as well as removing any historical reference to older and long-gone terminals......

I have an OCD when it comes to non-sequential terminal naming conventions, or if it doesn't start with the lowest letter or number. I get that airports don't want to rename all of the facilities once one is demolished, but there should be some clean sequence that makes sense.

Avianca707359b's approach might be the best for JFK.

I also believe MSP and DTW have the right approaches for naming terminals after people. That removes any need for sequencing.

Alpha-Number would be the most logical way to "re-number" the terminals and gates. But, I would leave a gap in case something gets built in the open space in between.

avianca707359b wrote:

I vote for:

New-T1 > to "Terminal A"
Old-T4 > to "Terminal B",
Old-T5 > to "Terminal C",
New-T6 > to "Terminal D" and
Old-T8 > to "Terminal E".

This is simple, keeps them in physical order, as well as removing any historical reference to older and long-gone terminals......

This is pretty much what's going to happen unless something changes.

Am I the only one who doesnt care if they leave it as is, i.e T1, 4, 5 and 8? IDC if there are gaps.

An appendix from the updated JFK Redevelopment Environmental Assessment--published on December 16th--confirms the terminals will be given letter designations. Additionally, the two south terminals (A, B) and three north terminals (C, D, E) will each be accessed exclusively by the Van Wyck and JFK Exp respectively, I assume in an effort to take some pressure off the former. It'll be interesting to see whether this actually works.

BA178 wrote:

An appendix from the updated JFK Redevelopment Environmental Assessment--published on December 16th--confirms the terminals will be given letter designations. Additionally, the two south terminals (A, B) and three north terminals (C, D, E) will each be accessed exclusively by the Van Wyck and JFK Exp respectively, I assume in an effort to take some pressure off the former. It'll be interesting to see whether this actually works.

Currently T4 has A and B concourses: T4A and T4B.

Will the concourses remain the same: TBA and TBB?

Will the concourses be numbered: TB1 and TB2?

Will the concourses not be named and only gates referred to: TB2-7 and TB20-55?

BA178 wrote:

An appendix from the updated JFK Redevelopment Environmental Assessment--published on December 16th--confirms the terminals will be given letter designations. Additionally, the two south terminals (A, B) and three north terminals (C, D, E) will each be accessed exclusively by the Van Wyck and JFK Exp respectively, I assume in an effort to take some pressure off the former. It'll be interesting to see whether this actually works.

I suppose then some aviation consultants working for the PANYNJ read this thread?

Lettered terminal designations at a major international airport servicing speakers of myriad languages, with the added complication of separate motorway access for different terminals, seems to be a poor choice. Particularly English "A" and other languages' "E" are pronounced the same. Communicating your destination terminal number to your driver can be done with fingers. Perhaps this letter designation and motorway scheme will be thrown in the waste bin where it belongs.

BA178 wrote:

An appendix from the updated JFK Redevelopment Environmental Assessment--published on December 16th--confirms the terminals will be given letter designations. Additionally, the two south terminals (A, B) and three north terminals (C, D, E) will each be accessed exclusively by the Van Wyck and JFK Exp respectively, I assume in an effort to take some pressure off the former. It'll be interesting to see whether this actually works.

That looks like a typical NY construction-for-the-sake-of-construction plan. Why remove highway access to given terminals such that you now need to pick either the JFK or Van Wyck depending on your terminal? What's the benefit?

IADCA wrote:

BA178 wrote:

An appendix from the updated JFK Redevelopment Environmental Assessment--published on December 16th--confirms the terminals will be given letter designations. Additionally, the two south terminals (A, B) and three north terminals (C, D, E) will each be accessed exclusively by the Van Wyck and JFK Exp respectively, I assume in an effort to take some pressure off the former. It'll be interesting to see whether this actually works.

That looks like a typical NY construction-for-the-sake-of-construction plan. Why remove highway access to given terminals such that you now need to pick either the JFK or Van Wyck depending on your terminal? What's the benefit?

Could it be to avoid backups or shorten the approach time? For passengers going to one of the higher numbered/lettered terminals, not having to be part of the traffic going round to the earlier terminals would be nice -- that was always a major irritant of mine when picking up/dropping off at airports like ORD or MIA.

questions wrote:

Currently T4 has A and B concourses: T4A and T4B.

Will the concourses remain the same: TBA and TBB?

Will the concourses be numbered: TB1 and TB2?

Will the concourses not be named and only gates referred to: TB2-7 and TB20-55?

In Normal circumstances, the two concourses will be renamed by its geographical direction. So it is likely to be TBE and TBW, which stand for Terminal B East and Terminal B West.

With DL basically getting control of all of T4 and both sides connected past security (which I don’t think was the case when terminal first opened?) I don’t really see the big need to differentiate between T4A and T4B in the future. Give them separate gate numbers and gate range signage can be used to herd passengers in the right direction.

It made more sense back when they were separate and T4 was most international airlines that were usually consistently operating out of the same concourse. Now who knows (or really cares) if your DL flight will be out of T4A or T4B.

luckyone wrote:

Could it be to avoid backups or shorten the approach time? For passengers going to one of the higher numbered/lettered terminals, not having to be part of the traffic going round to the earlier terminals would be nice -- that was always a major irritant of mine when picking up/dropping off at airports like ORD or MIA.

If departing from Terminal 8, you enter the airport and there's an immediate turn-off that goes right to Terminal 8. No need to go past all the other terminals.