The Operational Experience at New York JFK Airport: A Pilot’s Perspective

As the gateway to one of the world’s premier cities, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is an airport that most frequent fliers and pilots visit many times over a lifetime of traveling. Commonly known as JFK, the airport opened in the post-World War II era in 1948 as “Idlewild Airport.” In the 76 years since its opening, the airport ushered in the era of jet travel, featured cutting-edge terminal and airport designs, and has been renamed. This article is dedicated to the operational experience of pilots at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.