Airport construction to snarl traffic around JFK as Thanksgiving travel looms

Those headed to JFK Airport ahead for Thanksgiving week travel should allow for long lines amid airport construction, Port Authority officials said Monday.

“Leave at least three hours to get to the airport,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said Monday, adding, “And we urge everyone, if you’re traveling, to consider public transportation.”

The congestion warnings come as officials are already predicting a record number of travelers over the Thanksgiving Day weekend amid the ongoing construction of two new terminals. Making maters more complicated, rain is in the forecast for Thanksgiving Day.

“We apologize for any inconvenience that the construction process and the traffic cause for any travelers,” Cotton said. “But we believe — and we hope everyone will come to believe — that the pain is worth the gain.”

Airport officials expect 1.34 million people will travel through JFK in the coming week, 25,000 more people than last year’s Thanksgiving travel record. Meanwhile, the $19 billion project to build a new Terminal 1 and Terminal 6 is entering what the port executive called its “peak phase,” with added construction-related traffic expected.

“If you choose to drive this holiday season, you really can expect congestion on the airport roadways,” said Jessica Forse, the head of the Port Authority’s terminal redevelopment project.

In an effort to reduce car traffic at the airport, Ubers, Lyfts and other car services have been restricted from picking up passengers directly from their terminals. Instead, Forse said, a shuttle bus will pick up arriving passengers every 2 minutes, and take them to a parking lot on the edge of the airport where rideshare services can operate.

The restrictions, which have been in effect since July, have thinned terminal traffic by about 4,000 vehicles a day, Forse said.

For-hire vehicles can still drop passengers off directly at their terminal.

Port Authority officials also encouraged passengers to take the AirTrain.

For users of mass transit, an AirTrain connection from the Long Island Rail Road or the A train will cost $8.50.

But those who drive to the JFK’s Lefferts Boulevard parking lot — considered part of the airport — can ride the AirTrain to their terminal for free.

Asked if the Port Authority would be discounting the $8.50 fare for straphangers, Cotton said there was no plan to do so at this time.

But the situation is unlikely to resolve before the next holiday rush.

The new terminals — Terminal 1, a massive 23-gate, 7.4 million square foot hub for international flights, and Terminal 6, a smaller building expected to share domestic and international flight duties — are due to open in 2026.

Originally Published: November 25, 2024 at 6:11 PM EST