For many foreign tourists, the abbreviation JFK is incomprehensible. But any American school student can easily decrypt it for you. These are the initials of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States. The airport was named after him in December 1963, only a month after his assassination. But the hub began to serve passengers and cargo much earlier.
Although JFK Airport cannot be called the first and oldest hub of New York, it is certainly now the main air platform for receiving guests from abroad. This is one of the largest air hubs in America. In terms of international passenger and freight traffic, it is the first in the country. But this hub looks like a small town. How can I not get confused? About the airport terminals, its services and services, as well as how to get from it to the city center, read our article.
A small historical background
It’s hard to imagine, but back in the early forties of the last century, where the JFK airport is now in a busy rhythm, there were magnificent golf courses overgrown with grass. This club was called for the elite sports game "Idlevild." In the late forties, the main air gates of New York, La Guardia, stopped managing to cope with the growing passenger flow. To help him, they decided to build a new airport.
At first, he inherited the name of golf courses. But Idleweild Airport lasted less than twenty years. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, it was decided to name the main harbor in honor of the President. This happened in December of the sixty-third year.
Naturally, since that time the airport has been repeatedly rebuilt and modernized in accordance with the requirements of modern aviation. JFK was the first hub in America to adopt the giant A-380 airliner. Now this airport serves more than fifty-three million travelers a year. And although it is inferior in passenger traffic to the air harbors of Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta, JFK remains the most important air hub in the United States of America.
Where is JFK Airport located
Former golf courses, and now New York's largest air harbor, are located in the Queens area. This is the southeast of the metropolis, but still a feature of the city. The center (the so-called Downtown, which is considered to be Manhattan in New York) is located twelve miles (or twenty kilometers) from the airport. When in 1942 it was decided to build a new airport, the plans were more than modest. It was planned to build one terminal. But after the airport took its first flight in July 1948, they decided to assign it international status.
Now the hub consists of eight terminals. In connection with the growing popularity of the air harbor, the authorities of New York attended to the construction of a sufficient number of transport routes to it.
How to move between terminals
JFK is the seventeenth largest airport in the world in terms of congestion. Its services are used by over ninety airlines. And although it has international status, flights from around the country are also made from here.
The airport now has eight terminals. Some of them, especially the Fifth, are the masterpieces of modern architectural thought. To look at the “Winged Seagull”, even excursions are organized to the JFK airport. You can move between terminals quickly and, most importantly, for free.
In December 2003, the Aer-Train mini-metro was opened on autopilot. This train stops at all terminals, as well as in large parking lots. But the main advantage of this type of transport is that Air Train connects to the stations of the usual city subway, as well as to the Long Island suburban railway station.
Services
New York's main air harbor, JFK Airport, meets all international passenger standards. However, after the terrorist attacks of 2001 , security screening and passport control were carried out very meticulously. This can create queues.
Otherwise, the terminals have everything a traveler needs: currency exchange, luggage storage, ATMs, restaurants, cafes, shops (including duty free), VAT refund points and much more. True, access to Wi-Fi is paid and significantly affects the affordability: almost eight dollars an hour. All terminals have waiting rooms, but some of them are more like shopping centers, consisting of duty free boutiques. As long as you get around them, there’s no time left for sitting — not to be late even for landing.
All terminals are full of taxi stops. But in order not to be deceived, only get into the yellow car. The state taxi works on the counter, but still a trip to the city center will cost you at least forty dollars.
How to get from JFK Airport to Manhattan by public transport
The AirTrain automatic monorail takes you to one of two metro stations for free and quickly. If you need branch A, you need to go to Howard Beach, and if E, J or Z, go to Sutphin Blvd / Archer Av. But at the entrance to the city metro, you will have to pay seven and a half dollars to go on. You can also get to JFK Airport on Long Island commuter trains. Exit should be at the station "Jamaica". And from there, you can already get to the terminal you need on a free monorail.
It is possible to arrive at the Central Station by bus of the New York Airport Express company. A ticket for such a shuttle costs seventeen dollars.