John F. Kennedy International Airport – recognized for excellence in several recent surveys of airline passengers, aviation experts and business leaders – marked another historic milestone this week, welcoming the one-billionth passenger in the airport’s 52-year history.
Kennedy Airport, which is experiencing a rebirth with a $9 billion redevelopment program and major customer-service initiatives, joins a handful of prestigious airports around the world that have served a billion passengers.
The Port Authority – which has run JFK since it opened as New York International Airport in 1948 – presented the billionth passenger with gifts donated by the agency and its private partners, including round-trip airline tickets to Europe and free limousine service courtesy of the Port Authority to anywhere in the New York/New Jersey region.
“From the first passenger to the billionth, the Port Authority and our private partners at JFK have never wavered in our commitment to provide the finest service to our customers,” said Port Authority Executive Director Robert E. Boyle. “This week’s historic milestone is a testament to the tens of millions of domestic and international passengers who continue to make Kennedy Airport their first choice for quality service every year.”
“Throughout its illustrious history, Kennedy Airport has been widely recognized as the nation’s premier international gateway – welcoming immigrants and visitors ranging from heads of state to the Beatles,” said Kennedy Airport General Manager Charles G. Seliga. “The Port Authority’s unprecedented investment in state-of-the-art facilities and the finest customer amenities will enable JFK to maintain that distinction well into the millennium.”
JFK’s $9 billion public-private redevelopment program, the largest in U.S. aviation history, includes:
* $1.9 billion for AirTrain, which will provide fast, reliable travel between Manhattan and JFK by 2002;
* $1.8 billion for Port Authority infrastructure improvements throughout the airport, including new roads and parking garages; and
* $4.7 billion in Port Authority and airline funds to redevelop JFK’s nine passenger terminals.
The Port Authority also has launched a series of initiatives to ensure the highest level of airport customer service, such as new cleanliness standards for airport restrooms and more than 100 red-jacketed Customer Service Representatives at JFK who provide quick, courteous service on a wide range of subjects.
Kennedy Airport’s renaissance has been recognized in several recent surveys of passengers and aviation industry leaders.
In the International Air Transport Association’s most recent Global Airport Monitor survey of 60,000 passengers worldwide, JFK was named the second-most improved airport in the world, among airports that handle more than 25 million passengers a year.
A recent independent poll of 1,000 New York voters, conducted by the research firms of Peter D. Hart and Robert M. Teeter, found 83 percent of frequent JFK users said the airport is well run. Another poll, by Quinnipiac College, found that most New York City and New Jersey voters approve of the Port Authority’s management of JFK.
Kennedy Airport collected two first-place awards and one second-place finish in the prestigious Airport Retail News Best Concessions 2000 competition judged by aviation experts.
Reader surveys in the British editions of Business Traveller and Condé Nast Traveller in 1998 ranked Kennedy among the best airports in North America and the world. And Asian air cargo industry leaders ranked Kennedy Airport among North America’s best facilities in last year’s 13th annual Asian Freight Industry Awards survey by Cargonews Asia magazine.
Kennedy Airport welcomed 31.7 million passengers in 1999 – including 18.1 million international passengers, more than any other airport in the United States. JFK’s large passenger market enables it to provide frequent flights to many destinations with highly competitive air fares, and offer flights to cities not served by many other U.S. airports. Travelers using the airport can choose from more than 90 carriers.
