The passenger experience at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is about to get a major improvement.
Nowhere is that more apparent (or more sorely needed) than in the existing Terminal 1 complex, which will be replaced by something called “New Terminal One.”
When it opens, New Terminal One will be home to six lounges, the first of which was officially unveiled on Wednesday. Korean Air, one of the new facility’s flagship tenants, announced that it will open a new 16,000-square-foot lounge space when the terminal opens in 2026.
The lounge will be one of the largest in the Korean Air network outside the airline’s hub at Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul, South Korea.
While the airline didn’t share any renderings, it did provide some teasers as to what travelers can expect from the new lounge. This includes panoramic views of the airfield, a show kitchen and bar, and even direct boarding access to aircraft parked at nearby gates.
The Korean Air lounge will be at the end of the New Terminal One’s east pier. Access will be available to those booked in first and business class on Korean Air and SkyTeam partners, as well as to eligible elite frequent flyers.
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Korean’s existing lounge in the old Terminal 1 accepts Priority Pass passengers during limited time windows, and it remains to be seen if the new space will also be open to such travelers.
The New Terminal One will be home to five airside (postsecurity) lounges, as well as one landside (presecurity) lounge. Terminal management isn’t ready to share details about the airlines (or credit card companies) that will lease the remaining spaces, but it’s expected that these announcements will be made over the coming year and a half.
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The New Terminal One will open in two phases, the first of which is scheduled to be completed in 2026. When it opens, it’ll feature expansive departures and arrivals halls and 14 wide-body gates.
The second phase will open in 2030 and include nine more gates — all but one of which will handle wide-body aircraft. When complete, the New Terminal One complex will measure a whopping 2.6 million square feet and sit on the sites of the existing Terminal 1 and former terminals 2 and 3.
The New Terminal One is projected to handle more than 16 million passengers in 2030.
In addition to the upgrades at Terminal 1, JFK is currently undergoing a major $19 billion airport-wide transformation. This includes a new Terminal 6, as well as improvements to terminals 4, 5 and 8.
Cathay Pacific recently announced that it would open its first-ever lounge at JFK’s new Terminal 6, which is also expected to be home to a suite of new Lufthansa lounges.
For more about the revamped JFK, be sure to check out the latest below.
