Air France will leave its current terminal at JFK for the new Terminal One in 2027

At JFK, Air France is preparing its boxes. In 2027, the company will leave its current terminal to join the brand new Terminal One, which will become the major international gateway to New York airport. It will transfer all of its flights there as soon as this first section of the terminal opens.

And she won't get there empty-handed. Above all, Air France will install the largest lounge in its international network there, a space of more than 2,700 m² spread over two floors and able to accommodate more than 400 travelers. French gastronomy, wine and champagne bars, rest, treatment or work areas: the company here uses the codes deployed in recent years in its Paris-CDG lounges. Flying Blue Ultimate members will have their own reserved space while La Première passengers will benefit from a more discreet journey from their arrival at the airport to boarding, as well as a special space in the lounge.

The move also comes in a symbolic year: Air France is celebrating 80 years of its service to New York in 2026. “New York is one of Air France’s most important and most emblematic markets,” recalls Nicolas Henin, Senior Vice President North America of Air France-KLM. With this new terminal and this lounge, the company intends, he says, to “bring to life the best of Air France”, by focusing on hospitality, gastronomy and French know-how. On the menu, a menu signed by a “great French chef” whose name remains, for the moment, well guarded.

A new XXL terminal for JFK

The decor promises to be up to par. The New Terminal One is a $9.5 billion project, installed on the site of the current terminal 1 and the old terminals 2 and 3. Once completed, it will extend over some 240,000 m², behind large glass facades, with 23 boarding gates – including 22 capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft – and nearly 28,000 m² devoted to shops, restaurants and lounges. It will then become the largest terminal at JFK and, according to its promoters, the largest independent international terminal in the United States.

The colossal project, however, was delayed by a few months. At the end of June 2026, it was 92% completed. Ferrovial, which owns 49% of the project, now indicates that it is targeting March 2027 for the technical delivery of the first phase, with the work currently focusing mainly on systems integration, testing and operational preparation. In other words, Air France should be among the first companies to take the hit from this new JFK showcase.

The choice of New York is obviously not trivial. The route remains one of the most important in the French company's long-haul network: in high season, it operates up to six daily flights between Paris-CDG and JFK, to which are added up to three Delta rotations as part of their transatlantic joint venture, as well as two daily flights to Newark.

For New Terminal One, the arrival of Air France also serves as a signal. Jennifer Aument, its general director, presents Air France-KLM as its main airline partner and one of its pillar carriers. According to her, the choice to install the company's largest international lounge there constitutes "a strong vote of confidence" in this new terminal.