Kennedy Intl
A Journey Through Time
1948 — 2001
New York International Airport (Idlewild) opened on 31 July 1948 on the site of the former Idlewild Beach golf course in Jamaica, Queens. It was built to relieve congestion at LaGuardia Airport.
The iconic TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen, opened in 1962. Its sweeping concrete shell became a symbol of the Jet Age and is now a listed landmark housing the TWA Hotel.
The airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport on 24 December 1963, one month after the assassination of President Kennedy, by an act of the New York City Council.
JetBlue Airways launched operations from JFK on 11 February 2000, eventually building Terminal 5 into a major hub and transforming JFK into a base for low-cost transatlantic travel.