Nowadays, it is so hard to imagine our world without airports and the possibilities offered to people there. An airport is the location where a number of aircrafts can be found and used to bring people to different places around the whole world; it is a place of work for many people in different spheres of life. Watching the movie The Terminal, I could not help but wonder whether the directors used the original airport for setting or not. I was pleasantly surprised that in the movie, it was the original John F. Kennedy International Airport. I was so captivated by its sizes, functionality, and beauty, that my decision to investigate this airport, its history, and development was evident.
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General Information about John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is considered to be one of the most famous American major public airports and one of the three large airports that serve the New York metropolitan area. The United States Federal Aviation Administration offer many categories according to which all airports may be classified. Each category has its own purpose and gives clear information about any airport. For example, as John F. Kennedy International Airport is regarded to be that type airport with an annual passenger throughput more than one million people, it is called a major airport.
John F. Kennedy International Airport is also a large hub primary airport. It means that more than 10,000 people use this airport every year; and its annual boarding rates are over 1% of the whole country's boarding. In comparison to the history of other American airports, the JFK Airport story began not so long ago, in 1942; still, the results of this airport are high indeed. So that, this airport may become a powerful example of how a good team should work and what kind of progress has to be demonstrated by true professionals.
JFK Airport Terminals
JFK Airport is not only a successful international gateway for the tourists of the USA, and New York in particular. The airport also supports a number of domestic flights within the country. There are several working terminals in the airport, and each Terminal has its own airline and the ability to handle particular aircraft types. Terminal 1 was created for Eastern Airlines. Its main peculiarity is to serve Airbus A380, a double deck wide-body airliner… the largest passenger airliner in the world with 50 percent more floor space than the Boeing 747. As a rule, about 850 passengers are able to pass through an 8,200-mile distances on this aircraft type. Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and Terminal 4 are usually operated by Delta Air Lines, and have been refurbished because of the necessity to complete its hub operation.
JetBlue uses Terminal 5, Terminal 8 is under the control of American Airlines, and Terminal 7 is frequently used by British Airways. The same Airbuses A380 are served there. It is necessary to admit that JFK Airport is also one of the world's main air cargo centers, this is why a number of cargo aircrafts like Boeing 707 and Airbus A300, are used there by such companies lie Polar Air Cargo and Evergreen International Airlines. Terminal 9 and 3 aim at transporting people through the City of New York by means of helicopters which are comfortable for their passengers and effective for cargo flights.
About John F. Kennedy International Airport Main Bodies
There are two main bodies, which operate John F. Kennedy International Airport; they are the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the City of New York itself. Lately, they made an agreement to operate the airport till 2050. JFK Airport is about 5,000 acres is located on Jamaica Bay that is in the southern part of Queens. Its exact coordinates are as follows: 40, 64N (latitude) and 73,79W (longitude). It geographic conditions are rather successful, as people may get there by a variety of means. In addition to buses, taxies, and cars, which are usual types of transport in the majority of airports worldwide, the passengers of the airport get an access to Long Island Rail Road and numerous helicopters. Though the latter is not the cheapest kind of transportation, it is still effective and helps to save much time. The developers of the airport also take care of fast and, what is more important, free connections between all the terminals, transport facilities, and even hotel and parking areas. As a rule, people at the airports appreciate comfort and abilities available to them. They should be sure of the quality and safety of services offered, and JFK is the airport that strives to show successful results of its work.
People: About JFK Airport Staff and Passengers
Of course, the success of the airport depends not only on the technologies or even its geographical location. Much depends on qualification of the staff working there. People should have appropriate working conditions to complete the required portion of work, and the statistics shows that more than 36,000 people are now employed at JFK Airport (John F. Kennedy International Airport). It currently generates some $10 billion in wages and salaries and contributes $30 billion in economic activity to the New York City region. Such numbers prove that all kinds of foundations connected to this airport are justified. People, the representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who trusted their money in the development of this place, win a lot. JFK Airport promotes the economic development of the whole region.
More than 47 million passengers use this airport annually; and each day, about 50,000 international travelers come or leave the airport. The cooperation with more than 100 airlines provides the country with a chance to reach over 50 countries. To gain control over each activity in the airport, it is necessary to follow a certain organizational structure. The JFK Airport organizational structure is similar to many other airports' structures and looks as follows. A general director, today, it is Jerry Spampanato, takes responsibility for the work of the whole airport and reports to the FAA and the Port Authority. Several experts take the positions of a personnel manager, chief engineer, security manager, and chief technology manager. There are also financial, commercial, operations, and public affairs directors, who run the departments and control the activities of different managers accordingly. Each worker is a significant part of the team that aims at offering the best services, controlling activities, and taking care of each passenger of JFK Airport.
Why is JFK Airport so Successful
In-time appropriate funding is another reason of the airport's success. There are many funding sources available for the airport under consideration, and the FAA takes responsibility for each decision concerning when and how funding should be used. For example, in 1999, the FAA decided to make use of the PF revenue that was about $1 billion in order to improve the Light Rail System. Another funding source is the grant that was under the American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009. Due to this $14,999,024 grant, JFK Airport rehabilitation will be possible.
Rehabilitation usually touches upon different facilities available for the visitors of JFK Airport. In fact, the development and variety of facilities is one of the leading tasks that have to be perfectly performed by the airport staff. Travelers may be in need of different things, and the airport should provide them with any. For example, the airport has a variety of hotels located near-by. It is easy to find the required portion of information about any hotel and reach it within a short period of time. Airport visitors are also able to use parking services or rent a car. Within the terminals, it is always possible to feed, go shopping, relax, watch TV, use Wi-Fi, etc. As it is described in The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks, it is even possible to live and earn for living being at the airport all the time.
Another peculiar feature of JFK Airport is attention to some environmental aspects. For example, local air quality and its management is a significant issue for consideration at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Ambient pollutant concentration, emission inventory, and the levels of pollution at certain areas of the airport are under a constant attention and evaluation of the experts. To decrease the level of air pollutions, airport workers use environmentally friendly equipment.
Conclusion
In general, John F. Kennedy International Airport develops all the time in order to offer the best services with no delays or any other inconveniences. This airport serves as a good example of how an organizational system should look like. Each person should have his/her own duty and make sure to complete work properly and in time. The airport under discussion is a powerful system that works 24/7. There is always some kind of work that has to be done. There are always some improvements that have to be made. And the airport workers are ready to do their best. People will hardly stop using airports, and the main task of John F. Kennedy International Airport is to be the best among the others.
