JFK's New $9.5B Airport Terminal Is Closer To Completion - Here's What It Will Look Like

John F. Kennedy International Airport welcomes thousands of travelers from around the world every day, with 63.3 million passing through in 2024 alone. Thus, it's no surprise that it has had to expand to accommodate the flow of people. To that end, the airport has been building a new terminal, known as Terminal 1. The addition has been under construction since 2022, at a cost of $9.5 billion. To put the new terminal into context, its intended 2.6 million square foot size is about as large as the two new terminals added to LaGuardia Airport over the past decade combined.

Fortunately, eager travelers don't have much longer to wait until this new terminal allows access. Terminal 1 is set to open to the public in phases, with the first 14 gates opening in mid-2026. By the time it's fully operational in 2030, Terminal 1 will host 23 gates and have roughly 300,000 square feet dedicated to retail, dining, and lounge space. The completed Terminal 1 will also generate 10,000 new jobs and boast a capacity of around 14 million passengers per year. Once that's all up and running, JFK could be one step closer to rivaling airports such as Singapore's Changi, which Skytrax named the best airport of 2025.

Naturally, given its high-profile construction and immense price tag, JFK's in-progress Terminal 1 has been meticulously designed. The terminal will be shaped like a giant Y, with an hourglass-shaped skylight in the middle to let natural light in. The terminal will have ample light, with the entire structure comprised of tones of light grays, golds, silvers, and whites. Terminal 1 will also make use of green technology, too: Electric vehicles will be used throughout, and solar panels on the roof will help power the terminal's microgrid to ensure constant uptime.

Beyond its eco- and traveler-friendly design, Terminal 1 will also offer cultural delights to travelers passing through. Design and engineering company Arup is collaborating with various artists and organizations, including Kelly Akashi, Woody De Othello, and Pentagram, to integrate everything from physical art installations to eye-catching digital and auditory artworks into the terminal's design. The intent is to give travelers a taste of New York City's culture through local artists and to create an image of JFK airport as a one-of-a-kind travel hub that rivals even the most luxurious airports in the world today.

At the time of publication, there's still some time yet until JFK's Terminal 1 is fully completed and opened. With the first phase so close to opening, though, we'll soon get a taste of what the enormous expansion will look like.