There goes my rooftop.

My old spotting days ay JFK will truly go by the way side. I shall miss ye old friend.

http://www.wcbs880.com/Plans-for-Two-Ne ... e-/2238356


NEW YORK (AP) -- The days may be numbered for the two oldest passenger terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey took a first step Thursday in planning the replacement of Terminals 2 and 3, which were state-of-the-art buildings when they opened in the early 1960s but are now overcrowded and obsolete.

The authority, which operates JFK, said it would spend $20 million planning for a new mega-terminal that would have modern security features, space for new amenities and many more gates.

Both existing terminals are now operated by Delta Air Lines Inc., which is part way through a major expansion at JFK.

The airline, which would be a partner in the construction of the replacement terminal, has projected that it will be flying 18 million passengers through JFK by 2017, about double the number it served last year and well more than triple the 5 million it handled in 2002, Port Authority officials said.

Port Authority Aviation Director William DeCota said the reconstruction would be a ``huge undertaking,'' but a necessary one if the airport is to accommodate planned growth in air travel.

``They were built in a different era,'' he said of the aging structures.

Terminal 2 opened in 1962 and was initially used by Northeast Airlines, Northwest Airlines and Braniff.

Terminal 3, built for Pan American, was slightly more storied. When it opened in 1960, the circular building's most striking design was its huge, flying-saucer-like roof. The building had a 114-foot overhang intended to shelter passengers from rain as they boarded parked aircraft, a feature rendered obsolete by the development of the jetway.

The terminal was renamed the ``Worldport'' when it expanded in the early 1970s to accommodate the Boeing 747.

The plans for demolishing and rebuilding the terminals are being made at a time when JFK is undergoing several major operational changes as a result of its growth spurt.

After near-record flight delays last year, federal authorities capped the number of hourly flights allowed at the airport, saying the airlines had scheduled too many takeoffs and landings.

The FAA followed that up with an announcement that it intended to ration those flight slots by auctioning them to the highest bidder, a procedure that could, potentially, make it somewhat risky for an airline to invest in new terminal facilities.

Though the specifics of the auction plan have yet to be worked out, airlines have complained that they could spend millions of dollars building gates and lounges, only to see their flight slots auctioned off to some other airline.

``The reality is, this creates a great deal of uncertainty,'' DeCota said. The Port Authority has opposed both the flight caps and the auction plan, saying the airport can accommodate many more flights than the FAA currently allows.

DeCota added, though, that concerns over flight rationing aren't yet severe enough to stall the plans for the terminals, which would be the final stage in a $9 billion-plus overhaul of the airport's facilities that began in the 1990s.

Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the renovations will help the airline lower costs, reduce taxi times and streamline its baggage handling system.

There is no estimated cost of the new terminal yet, she said. Coming up with a price tag and construction timeline will be part of the planning study.