September 9, 2022

JFK Breaks Ground on New Terminal 1

A delegation led by New York Governor Kathy Hochul broke ground on the new Terminal 1 coming to New York/JFK some time this century.

The $9.5 billion, 2.4 million-square-foot terminal is expected to eventually open and be filled with overpriced eateries, outdated passenger amenities, overcrowded restrooms, and more spacious accommodations for all the rats. The state says the project will create more than 10,000 jobs – most of which will be in PR with a specialty in tamping down expectations for the new space.

The new terminal is being built on the site of the current T1 and T2 plus the former site of Terminal 3.  22 of the 23 gates will be designed for widebody aircraft and will provide a direct line to the waiting conga line of aircraft each afternoon on JFK’s taxiways. The terminal will allegedly be designed to reach net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, but the truth is the Port Authority simply believes none of us will remember the pledge by 2030, much less 2050, giving it plenty of cover.

The government hopes the new T1 will be up-and-running by 2026. Don’t hold your breath.

Airbus Confirms It Told Qatar to Pound Sand

Airbus officially kiboshed Qatar’s outstanding order of 19 A350 aircraft as the two continue to battle over the paint jobs on the A350.

The carrier put a hold on delivery of any future A350s while the issue was sorted out, and Airbus clapped back by choosing to send its planes to other airlines who appreciate its paint jobs more. Qatar was supposed to have up to 74 A350s, including 34 A350-900s and 40 A350-1000s.

In addition to canceling the 19 A350-1000s on order, Airbus also canceled an order for 50 A321neos earlier this year, mostly out of spite.

Netherlands Raises Ticket Tax

The Netherlands is taking more drastic measures to reduce the number of airplane passengers in the country, as it increases the federal departure tax by nearly four times the current levy.

The tax will jump from €7.95 to €28.58, a jump of more than €20, or more than 350%. This isn’t the only federal passenger tax levied by the Dutch, as it also tacks on a Netherlands Passenger Service Charge and a Netherlands Security Service Charge. The government says its hopeful the increase in taxes will encourage people to choose other transportation options such as trains, when in reality it will likely just send them to another European airport.

The increase in tax only applies to passengers who’s journey originates in the Netherlands, not connecting passengers – shielding a big chunk of KLM’s customer base from the increase. The idea is similar to one several airlines tried with Newark Airport, discouraging customers from flying through by showing pictures of the surrounding area to originating travelers before booking. Its success will likely be tied to the Dutch government’s attempt to extend its passenger caps for Schiphol well into next year.

  • Air Greenland‘s only A330-200 is for sale.
  • Blue Air hopes to feel less blue.
  • Bonza is closer to taking delivery of two B737 MAXs.
  • Qantas added Hong Kong to the list of destinations where its return has been delayed.
  • Southwest is negotiating with its airplane cleaning staff.
  • Sun-Air has risen again.
  • Tarom was awarded $1 million to rescue passengers stranded by Blue Air’s operational shutdown.

It’s been six months since I joined my new gym and I’ve made no progress.

I’m going to finally go down there in person tomorrow and see what’s really going on.