The latest news on airports globally, with updates on financing, infrastructure expansion and sustainability initiatives.
Dec. 15
JetBlue Airways will open its first-ever airport lounge at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Dec. 18. The lounge, dubbed “BlueHouse,” will be located in JFK’s Terminal 5. The two-floor lounge will span 9,000 ft.² and has an art deco design intended to create “an NYC apartment-style aesthetic,” JetBlue said. The airline, which is based at JFK, added the lounge will have “high-speed Wi-Fi, ample power outlets, a game room, open seating and quiet areas to give space to the different needs of travelers looking to socialize, work and relax before flying.”
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) will change how it identifies terminals, moving to an all-numbers system. Currently, the airport has a Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, but the remaining terminals are identified as “2” followed by letters, such as 2A, 2B and 2C, and so on. From March 2027, the terminals will be identified only by numbers in ascending order from Terminal 1 to Terminal 7. Terminal automobile parking garages will be identified by the number corresponding to the terminal. Thousands of signs within the terminals, in parking garages and on roadways will be changed between September and December 2026. “The new signs will be temporarily covered with stickers before being all removed to be unveiled in March 2027,” CDG said. With the change, “various movements within the airport become perfectly intuitive for all passengers, especially those on connecting flights, which concerns more than 30% of daily passengers,” CDG added.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) received a letter of intent from the FAA committing $108 million in government funding for the airport’s airfield capacity improvement project. The Texas capital’s airport is building new taxiways and upgrading airfield infrastructure. “This investment at AUS will reduce delays and increase capacity as the airport continues to grow,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. The improvements are tied to a larger project to add 20 gates to the airport. The FAA already has committed $96 million toward the terminal expansion program.
Brisbane Airport (BNE) in Australia opened a new entryway to its domestic terminal giving passengers with only carry-on bags direct access to a new screening checkpoint. The new screening area, to be fully open by the end of December, will feature 10 lanes equipped with Rapiscan computed tomography (CT) baggage scanners. “The new technology delivers a more secure screening process, allowing passengers to keep laptops, secured drink bottles and aerosols inside bags for a smoother passenger experience,” BNE said. “The lanes also feature larger tubs to accommodate more personal items and an automatic tray return.” The new screening checkpoint spans 13,455 ft.²
East Midlands Airport (EMA) in Derby, England, will make airfield improvements over the winter during a series of runway closures. The airport said it has consulted with airlines to enable EMA to conduct the upgrade work during daylight hours, allowing “for more work to be completed safely and efficiently, with minimal disruption to passengers and cargo operations.” EMA plans a “full-scale upgrade” of a taxiway surface and supporting infrastructure. The airport will also complete a “comprehensive redesign of the central apron [to] reconfigure the layout to optimize space and improve turnaround times.” The work will create four more stands for passenger aircraft, bringing EMA’s total stands to 28. In addition, advanced lighting systems will be installed across the airport’s aprons. “Enhanced airfield ground lighting and centerline lighting will play a pivotal role in improving visibility, guidance and safety for aircraft during taxiing, parking and pushback operations,” EMA said.
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