John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International: New York's global gateway, with private handling apart from the airline terminals.
Idlewild was a golf course on Jamaica Bay, in Queens. The airport that opened on it in 1948 kept the name until 1963, when it was renamed for President John F. Kennedy after his assassination. Eero Saarinen's TWA Flight Center, from 1962, is still there, one of the icons of the jet age, and around it is John F. Kennedy International, New York's principal international airport.
The private side
As of mid-2026 private aviation at JFK is handled through the airport's general-aviation facilities, separate from the airline terminals. The rest of the field belongs to the airliners. For most private trips into the New York area, Teterboro, Westchester, or the Long Island and New Jersey business fields are far quicker and less congested. JFK is where a private flight goes when the next airplane is an airliner bound overseas.
FBO and history details were checked mid-2026 against the airport's and operators' own published information. Tenants change, so confirm the departure terminal with your operator.
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