JFK Terminal 4

Terminal 4 is JFK’s busiest terminal, handling anywhere between 18 and 21 million passengers a year. The terminal handled more than 20 million passengers in 2016, and traffic has remained near that level for almost a decade. The terminal serves as the main hub for Delta Air Lines in JFK. However, the terminal is not just about Delta; various other international carriers also use this terminal.

JFK Terminal 4 is the terminal that most first-timers in JFK end up passing through. The terminal is located on the old International Arrivals Building’s site, which originally opened in 1957. For more than a decade, it was the only terminal building in JFK that was capable of handling both customs and immigration for international flights.

The current Terminal 4 opened in 2001 and is operated by JFKIAT, a private operator, and not directly by the Port Authority. What are the facilities at Terminal 4 in JFK? Our JFK Airport Terminal 4 guide answers all your questions completely.

Terminal 4 has a total of 43 gates sprawling across two concourses and four levels. The bottom level features the baggage claim and immigration areas, the level just above has the arrival walkways, the third level features a retail hall and departure gates, and the fourth level has check-in and the main security checkpoint.

Concourse A has 16 gates on the east side. Concourse B has 27 gates on the west side and is long enough to have moving walkways covering most of it. A central zone with the main security checkpoint is located between the two concourses. The check-in area, AirTrain bridge, and Delta One Lounge entrance are all here too. Every connection through the terminal runs through this spot.

Terminal 4 is located at the site of the airport’s original International Arrivals Building, which opened in 1957 as the flagship of the airport’s “Terminal City” master plan. Its defining feature was an 11-story control tower, which became JFK’s architectural signature for many years. By the mid-1990s, the old building couldn’t handle modern wide-body jets anymore, so it was fully demolished in 1997 to construct a new terminal.

The current Terminal 4 was built at a budget of $1.4 billion. The terminal made history by becoming the first US airport terminal operated via a non-airline public-private partnership, JFKIAT. Major terminal developments were undertaken in 2013, 2015, and in recent years, turning JFK Airport Terminal 4 into Delta’s primary international hub. Today, the terminal sprawls more than 2 million square feet and has 43 gates.

Terminal 4 is Delta Air Lines’ main East Coast hub, and it handles most of Delta’s domestic and long-haul traffic. Other than Delta, the terminal also serves around 20 international airlines, including major carriers like Etihad, Emirates, Air India, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic. This combination makes the terminal JFK’s busiest multi-airline gateway. As flight delays happen often in JFK Terminal 4 due to air traffic congestion, heavy international passenger traffic, or weather disruptions, we always recommend you check the live JFK flight status before heading to the airport.

The terminal handles the airport’s highest security volume with typical wait times ranging between 6 and 36 minutes, averaging around 15-25 minutes. The wait time can come down to around 11 minutes if you have enrolled in TSA PreCheck. If you are flying out on an international carrier before 10 a.m., without CLEAR or TSA PreCheck, we recommend an additional 20-minute buffer to your arrival time at the terminal.

Walking times to the gates from the central checkpoint are fairly predictable across both concourses. Concourse A gates are around a 3 to 6 minute walk from the checkpoint for the closest gates, extending to 8 to 10 minutes for the farthest gates. Concourse B gates are around a 4 to 6 minute walk for the closest gates and 10 to 14 minutes for the farthest gates.

You can also use the RESERVE program to avoid the standard queues. The program lets you book a dedicated screening slot in advance. Delta One passengers can avoid the main checkpoint completely via a private check-in entrance on the fourth level. Always check the live JFK TSA wait times before driving to the airport.

These are some of the facilities in Terminal 4 at JFK.

For parking near Terminal 4, you have to park your car in the Terminal 4 Blue Garage. The parking rate starts at $6 for 30 minutes, and the daily parking rate can go up to a maximum of $94 a day. The Blue Surface Lot is currently closed, so you can park in the garage only. However, the garage has a height restriction of 6’4”.

Taller vehicles can use the JFK Terminal 8 Red Garage. Also, the Long-Term Parking and Federal Circle Station lots offer spots for long-term parking at JFK. However, these lots are at a distance from the terminal. If you are looking for the cheapest JFK Airport parking rates, it is always best that you reserve parking at any of the offsite lots nearby. You can save up to 60% on parking rates when you reserve an offsite lot via Way.

To unwind before you fly out, explore one of these lounges.

Terminal 4 has the best shopping and dining options at JFK, with around 40 shops and restaurants on the third level alone, covering American, Mexican, and Asian cuisines, along with newsstands and travel basics. There’s enough variety in the terminal to actually plan a meal other than just grabbing whatever’s nearest. Dine-in restaurants are mostly in the retail hall after security. You can locate grab-and-go eateries near the gates on both concourses.

The rideshare pickups currently operate from a remote Lot 66, reached by a shuttle from the T4 curb, daily from noon to 2 a.m. The curbside pickup happens outside that window. Taxis use the B Curb on the arrivals level for pickup, along with Terminal 4’s indoor taxi queue, useful in bad weather.

Take the free AirTrain to connect to other JFK Airport terminals. You’ll find it through the bridge in the terminal’s central area. As there’s no airside link to other terminals, you will have to exit security, ride the AirTrain, then clear security again if you are connecting to any other terminal.