A new perspective on an 85-year-old airport

New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is partway through an $18bn transformation programme. This undertaking will see the addition of two new multibillion-dollar terminals, two others undergoing renovation and expansion, delivery of a new ground transportation system for vehicles and pedestrians, and reprofiling of the entire network of approach roads. In 2017, we were engaged by the airport’s operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as master planning and programme planning lead for a period that has now been extended to 2027. The scope of our role has grown substantially, and now touches almost every part of the project as well as other airports under the control of the Port Authority. Our role includes technical and commercial advisory services, designing a new governance structure, and driving through ambitious new standards on inclusivity and environmental sustainability. Yet the most remarkable aspect of the JFK project is not the infrastructure at all. We have centred the entire project around transforming the customer experience to world-class one, while maximising the development opportunity. By doing so, we’ve unlocked a further 20% increase in passenger capacity and secured country-first accreditation via our development of new customer experience performance and wayfinding manuals. Our work has helped win the confidence of investors and developers, securing $15bn in private-sector funding to make the project a reality.