
John F. Kennedy International Airport, commonly referred to as JFK, is an international airport serving New York City. It is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in the borough of Queens, and is the busiest airport in the New York airport system. The airport is named after former US President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. The airport's IATA code is JFK, and it is a hub for major airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and JetBlue. With over 40 million annual passengers, JFK is one of the leading international airports in the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Airport Name | John F. Kennedy International Airport |
| Airport Code | JFK |
| City | New York City |
| State | New York |
| Country | United States |
| Latitude | 40.641333 |
| Longitude | -73.778139 |
| Elevation | 13 ft |
| Time Zone | America/New_York |
| Airport Phone Number | +1 718-244-4444 |
| Number of Runways | 4 |
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What You'll Learn

John F. Kennedy International Airport's IATA, ICAO and FAA LID codes
John F. Kennedy International Airport, commonly known as JFK Airport, is located in Queens, New York City. It is one of the leading international airports in the United States, serving the New York metropolitan area.
The airport's IATA, ICAO, and FAA LID codes are as follows:
- IATA: JFK
- ICAO: KJFK
- FAA LID: JFK
IATA (International Air Transport Association) codes are widely used for airline travel and are seen on items such as tickets, boarding passes, and luggage tags. They consist of three alphabetic characters and are meant to be intuitive and easily recognisable for passengers.
ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) codes are four-letter codes used for "official" purposes, such as Air Traffic Control and flight plans. These codes are used globally and are seen within the aviation industry and on private flight-tracking services.
LID stands for "local identifier," with "local" referring to the country in which the code is assigned. The United States, Canada, Mexico, and Russia are among the countries that assign LID codes within their boundaries. FAA LIDs are only valid for the United States, including small airfields that have no other codes. They are three or four letters long, and the FAA only assigns an all-letter code to airports with a 5,000-foot or longer runway and an advanced weather station.
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The airport's location
John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK, ICAO: KJFK, FAA LID: JFK), commonly known as JFK Airport, is located in the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City. It is situated in the Jamaica neighbourhood of Queens, 16 miles southeast of Midtown Manhattan. The airport is accessible via the JFK Expressway or Interstate 678 (Van Wyck Expressway).
JFK Airport is one of the leading US international airports, serving New York City and its metropolitan area. It is the busiest airport in the New York airport system, the sixth-busiest airport in the United States, and the busiest international commercial airport in North America. Over 90 airlines operate from JFK Airport, serving all six inhabited continents with nonstop or direct flights.
The airport covers 5,200 acres, making it the largest in the New York metropolitan area. It features five passenger terminals and four runways. The construction of the airport began in the 1940s, and it was originally known as Idlewild Airport, named after the Idlewild Beach Golf Course that it displaced. The airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1963, following the assassination of President Kennedy, adopting the fallen president's initials as its airport codes.
JFK Airport is accessible by various transportation options, including car, bus, shuttle, and other vehicle transit services. Additionally, the AirTrain JFK, a dedicated rail network, connects each passenger terminal to the New York City Subway and the Long Island Rail Road at Howard Beach and Jamaica.
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Airlines that use JFK as a hub
John F. Kennedy International Airport, commonly known as JFK Airport, is located in the Jamaica neighbourhood of Queens, New York City. It is the busiest airport in the New York airport system and the sixth-busiest airport in the United States. With over 90 airlines operating from the airport, it is not surprising that JFK is a significant hub for several major airlines.
JFK Airport is a hub for American Airlines, which operates from Terminal 8, a major Oneworld hub. American Airlines is the third-largest carrier at JFK and manages Terminal 8, making it the largest carrier at that terminal. Other Oneworld airlines that operate out of Terminal 8 include Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Finnair.
Delta Air Lines also uses JFK as a hub, with Terminals 2 and 3 serving as the Delta hub. Delta is one of the airlines that have been at JFK the longest, along with American Airlines.
JetBlue Airways has its primary operating base at JFK Airport. JetBlue's Terminal 5 incorporates the TWA Flight Center.
In addition to these airlines, many other carriers operate from JFK Airport, including Air France, China Eastern Airlines, Korean Air, Saudia, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and many more. With so many airlines using JFK as a hub or primary operating base, it is no wonder that the airport is one of the busiest in the United States.
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The airport's history
The airport code for John F. Kennedy International Airport is JFK. The airport is located in the borough of Queens, in the city of New York. With an average of 47 million annual passengers since 2007, JFK is one of the leading US international airports.
In the late 1950s, airlines began scheduling jets to Idlewild, and by the early 1960s, it had become New York's busiest airport. From 1962 to 1967, it had more airline takeoffs and landings than LaGuardia and Newark combined, peaking at 403,981 airline operations in 1967. During this time, LaGuardia underwent expansions, including the addition of a new terminal and longer runways, which helped it catch up with Idlewild in terms of traffic by the mid-1970s.
On December 24, 1963, a month and two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport in tribute to the fallen president. The original IDL and KIDL codes were reassigned to Indianola Municipal Airport in Mississippi, and the newly renamed Kennedy Airport was given the codes JFK and KJFK, adopting the president's initials.
Over the years, JFK Airport has undergone numerous expansions and improvements. Terminal 1 opened in 1998, followed by the $1.4 billion Terminal 4 in 2001. The AirTrain JFK people-mover system, which connects each airport terminal to the New York City Subway and the Long Island Rail Road, opened in 2003 after decades of planning. Today, JFK Airport features five passenger terminals and four runways, serving as a hub for major airlines and handling flights to destinations worldwide.
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Passenger experience
John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK, ICAO: KJFK, FAA LID: JFK) is one of the busiest airports in the United States and the world, handling over 60 million passengers annually. The airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in the borough of Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is the busiest airport in the New York airport system and the sixth-busiest airport in the United States. Over 90 airlines operate from JFK Airport, with nonstop or direct flights to destinations on all six inhabited continents.
JFK Airport has five passenger terminals, four runways, and over 20,000 parking spaces. The airport's dedicated rail network, the AirTrain JFK, stops at each passenger terminal and also serves Federal Circle, the JFK long-term parking lot, and two multimodal rapid transit stations: Howard Beach and Jamaica. The AirTrain provides quick access to the New York City Subway and the Long Island Rail Road. However, some passengers have expressed a preference for a direct train connection between the airport and the city.
The airport offers various passenger amenities, including restaurants, shops, lounges, and hotel accommodations on-site or nearby. Terminal 4, which opened in 2001, features an Arts & Culture program with photography exhibits, murals, and the first-ever freestanding hologram device in an airport. Terminal 8, serving American Airlines, has 31 gates spread across two concourses.
Passengers can enhance their travel experience at JFK Airport by utilising services such as airssist, which offers limousine charter services, meet-and-greet assistance, and access to the Airport Lounge. Private car services are also available, with drivers meeting passengers at the baggage claim area for a seamless departure from the airport.
While JFK Airport provides a systematic and traveller-friendly experience, it has been criticised for its design and navigation. With ongoing construction, some passengers have found it confusing to move between terminals, especially when needing to exit and re-clear security. The immigration line management has also been noted as a time-consuming process. Despite these challenges, JFK Airport remains a significant international gateway, serving as a hub for major airlines and facilitating travel to and from New York City.
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Frequently asked questions
JFK.
The airport code is named after John F. Kennedy, the former president who was assassinated in 1963. The airport was renamed in tribute to him.
The airport was originally called New York International Airport and was commonly known as Idlewild Airport.










































