If you’ve ever been on New York flights from JFK you’ve likely spent time on Runway 13-31. It’s one of the longest commercial runways in the country – more than 2 ¾ miles in length — and one of the most congested. But, JFK’s Runway 13-32 is about to undergo a much-needed makeover.
The runway project will widen and rework the runway as part of Kennedy’s on-going delay-reduction effort. Work on the runway will start in June, and is set to end in 2011.
Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey says the project will “create jobs, reduce flight delays and increase our airport’s capacity to handle more planes.”
Other delay-reduction measures include construction of more access points on nearby taxiways, as well as new taxiways. Those projects will aid aircraft queuing and lead to faster departures. There will also be easier access from taxiways to terminal gates, which means flyers should spend less time on the tarmac waiting to get to their gates.
There will be some operational impact while construction is going on. Runway 13-31 will be shut down for 120 days in 2010 for construction work. In a prepared release, the Port Authority says, “Airlines are adjusting schedules and operations to mitigate delays, and the airport’s three remaining runways will be utilized to their full capabilities during the closure.”
For the record, Runway 13-31 is 14,572 feet long. It handles more than half of JFK’s departures, many of them heavily-loaded intercontinental widebodies.
©Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler
