John F. Kennedy International Airport

Pride and Prejudice

John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK, ICAO: KJFK, FAA LID: JFK) is an international airport located in Queens County, on Long Island, in southeastern New York City. The airport is approximately 12 miles (19 km) from Lower Manhattan. JFK is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States. It is also the leading freight gateway to the country by value of shipments. In 2009, the airport handled 45,915,069 passengers, making it the 12th busiest airport in the world by this measure.

Over ninety airlines operate out of JFK. It is the base of operations for JetBlue Airways and is a major international gateway hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The airport is the fourth largest hub for American Airlines and is one of the sixth largest hub for Delta Air Lines. In the past, it has been a former hub for Eastern Air Lines, National Airlines, Pan American World Airways and Trans World Airlines. The airport was renamed after John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States.

The airport is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also manages the two other major airports in the New York metropolitan area, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia Airport

JFK has eight terminals (nine until the early 2000s) containing 151 gates, seven of which are currently in use (Terminals 1-5, 7, and 8). Both Terminal 3 and Terminal 6 are to be demolished; the former's will occur in 2013.

The terminal buildings are arranged in a deformed U-shaped wavy pattern around a central area containing parking, hotels, a power plant, and other airport facilities. The terminals are connected by the AirTrain system and access roads. Wayfinding signage throughout the terminals was designed by Paul Mijksenaar. A 2006 survey by J.D. Power and Associates in conjunction with Aviation Week found JFK ranked second in overall traveller satisfaction among large airports in the United States, behind McCarran International Airport which serves the Las Vegas metropolitan area.

Nearly 100 airlines from over 50 countries operate regularly scheduled flights from JFK. The JFK-London Heathrow route is the leading U.S. international airport pair with over 2.9 million passengers in 2008. Domestic travel also accounts for a large share of airport traffic, particularly transcontinental and Florida service.

source:wikipedia