A MAJOR US airport has warned passengers “do not drive here this summer.”
It means flyers face lengthy queues – and risk missing flights – as it struggles with huge volumes of holidaymakers.
Passengers flocking to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) this summer should expect delays[/caption]
The major U.S. airport is forecast to handle a record number of passengers for the second consecutive year[/caption]
JFK International Airport in Queens is tipped to process a record number of passengers for the second consecutive year, warned the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).
In an update on the situation, it said on Tuesday that the summer season passenger volume will spike at a time which coincides with the construction of new roads and terminals.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole pleaded with flyers on Tuesday to “leave their cars at home.”
Instead, he wants people to use public transport to JFK.
Train fares have been halved to encourage people to make the switch.
But, O’Toole admitted, it will be an “inconvenience.”
He said, “As we head into a busy summer construction period in our $19 billion effort to build a new JFK International with record traveler volumes, we are once again asking travelers to leave their cars at home and take public transit to the airport.
“Yes, there will be some temporary inconvenience.
“But it’s all part of building an airport our region can be proud of — for decades to come.”
Extensive, once-in-a-generation redevelopment work continues at JFK for new and upgraded terminals, ground transportation revamps and road network overhauls.
TRAIN FARES HALVED
O’Toole pleaded with flyers to instead travel to the airport by public transport, to also help ease traffic congestion on local roads.
In the authority’s travel advisory, it announced that the AirTrain JFK single ride fare will be reduced by 50%.
The decrease is from June 30 through Labor Day to encourage the use of public transportation to JFK this summer.
That means that from June 30 until September 5, the price will drop from $8.50 to $4.25.
If you can avoid it, don’t drive to JFK this summer
The reduced AirTrain fare is just part of the airport’s strategy to reduce traffic congestion at the terminal frontages.
“The discounted AirTrain fare is one of a multitude of steps we’re taking to move passengers to and from JFK as quickly and reliably as possible,” O’Toole added.
Jessica Forse, project executive of JFK’s redevelopment at the port authority, told AMNY, “If you can avoid it, don’t drive to JFK this summer.
“Leverage and take public transportation.”
How the reduced AirTrain JFK single ride fare will work for those traveling to JFK Airport
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has announced that the AirTrain JFK single ride fare will be reduced by 50% to ease congestion at JKF
How it works:
The fare will be halved from June 30 through Labor Day to encourage the use of public transportation to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) this summer.
From June 30 until September 5, 2025, the price will drop from $8.50 to $4.25.
The half-price AirTrain JFK fare of $4.25 applies at both the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations, the two off-airport stations that require payment via OMNY or MetroCard.
Jamaica station is just 20 minutes from Grand Central Madison, Penn Station, or Atlantic Terminal via Long Island Rail Road, and accessible from Long Island.
Easy subway connections are also available at the Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport and Howard Beach subway stations via the A/E/J/Z lines.
Car trips:
Parking at the airport will be extremely limited.
Those planning to park should pre-book at JFKAirport.com in order to guarantee a spot.
For travelers who must take a car to the airport, the Port Authority operates a drop-off/pickup lot at AirTrain JFK’s on-airport Lefferts Blvd station.
From this station, there is a free direct eight-minute AirTrain ride to the airport terminals, to help passengers avoid heavy congestion on terminal frontages.
Anyone who must drive to JFK should plan to arrive three hours before their flight.
Source: Port Authority
Rick Cotton, executive director of the authority, added, “We are encouraging travelers to use public transit to reach JFK International this summer.
“We expect a record number of passengers to use the airport while we are also at the peak of construction, including extensive work on the roadways as we build a whole new world-class JFK.
“Beginning June 30 through Labor Day, AirTrain JFK fares will be reduced by half as an incentive to use public transit for reliable airport access and to reduce traffic at the terminal frontages.
“We apologize for any inconvenience, but we promise that a new JFK is just around the corner, with the first new gates opening next year.”
The airport is the sixth busiest airport in the country, and the busiest out of all New York airports,
