JetBlue’s New York hub is growing again.
The airline on Monday broke ground on T5i, the new international arrivals wing of its massive Terminal 5 at JFK International Airport.
Without US customs and immigration facilities in the existing Terminal 5, JetBlue’s international arrivals currently use gates in Terminal 4. Passengers connecting to JetBlue domestic flights are then on their own to transfer to Terminal 5.
The 150,000 sq ft addition will feature federal inspection facilities capable of handling 1,200 arriving passengers per hour.
Gensler, the design firm responsible for the existing T5, has laid out the extension to mirror the look and feel of . Glass walls will fill the hall with natural light while walkways will be arranged to maximize efficiency of passenger movement.
Three existing gates will be adapted into the new structure, and three brand new gates and two new baggage carousels will be added.
The new structure will be built on land previously occupied by the National Airlines Sundrome, aka Terminal 6. That building, designed by famed architect IM Pei in the late 1960s, at various times hosted flights for National Airlines, TWA, Pan Am, United, Carnival Airlines and Vanguard Airlines, and was JetBlue’s original JFK home. Despite the efforts of preservationists, demolition of Terminal 6 was completed in 2010.
