[NYguy]

https://rew-online.com/jetblue-to-re...-jfk-flagship/

JetBlue to renew LIC headquarters lease, expand JFK flagship

by REW
August 3, 2021

JetBlue today announced plans to double down on its commitment to New York by maintaining its headquarters in the city and advancing plans to expand its flagship terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

After a competitive bid process, JetBlue said it will keep its headquarters in the Brewster Building at 27-01 Queens Plaza North in Long Island City (pictured top) when its current office lease expires in 2023.

JetBlue intends to negotiate and execute a lease over the next few months and then re-design its office space to be responsive to evolving workplace trends that have accelerated during the pandemic.

The Brewster Building was built in 1911 and is where the Brewster Aeronautical Company manufactured the Brewster F2A the first monoplane fighter airplane used by the U.S. Navy in World War II.

“New York is in JetBlue’s DNA and inspires everything we do,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “Our comprehensive review found that keeping our headquarters in the city was the right thing for our crewmembers, our brand, and our business.

“We’re confident in the city’s commitment to bring back NYC stronger than ever on multiple fronts, including public safety, economic recovery, and travel and tourism. And at JetBlue we’re ready to do our part as well by advancing sustainability and diversity initiatives in the city, partnering with local organizations across the region, and activating thousands of crewmembers to volunteer in our communities.”

The new Terminal 6 project will integrate with Terminal 5, building on JetBlue’s customer experience while expanding the airline’s footprint farther into the north side of the airport. It helps secure JetBlue’s long-term future at JFK with opportunities for new gates starting in 2025, and offers partner airlines the ability to co-locate with JetBlue to improve connectivity for customers.

The Terminal 6 project will be developed and operated by JFK Millennium Partners (JMP), a private consortium comprised of JetBlue; Vantage Airport Group, an industry leading investor, developer and manager of award-winning global airport projects, including as a member of the consortium that built LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B; American Triple I (ATI), a 100% minority- and woman-owned investor, owner, developer, and manager of infrastructure assets and infrastructure focused companies that seek to spur economic growth and development in markets across the U.S.; and RXR Realty, a leading New York-based real estate operating and development company.

The $3.9 billion, 1.2 million square foot terminal is set to replace aging existing facilities, and will be designed to accommodate both wide-body gates and narrow-body gates, as well as bright and airy check-in halls and arrival spaces designed to enhance the customer experience. Customers will enjoy more than 100,000 square feet of commercial dining and retail amenities, lounges, and recreational spaces. The new terminal will also include critical infrastructure improvements to the airport’s roadways, optimizing traffic flow and transportation access at the airport, and incorporate the latest advances in both sustainability and security.

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the development of Terminal 6 is expected to result in over 4,000 direct jobs (both on-site and off-site) and direct payroll wages of $1.9 billion. The total economic activity impact from the project amounts to nearly $2.8 billion in total wages and $6.3 billion in total economic activity.

JetBlue will also expand its footprint at LaGuardia Airport beyond its current space at the historic Marine Air Terminal and partially move into the airport’s recently opened and state-of-the-art Terminal B later this year with plans to move completely in 2022. At Newark, JetBlue will also move, relocating to the new Terminal A in 2022.

JetBlue plans to add more than 1,800 jobs at New York City airports thanks to new flights and destinations it is adding as a result of its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines.