Departure
94%
vs 95% ▼ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
John F Kennedy International Airport is a major international gateway on Long Island in the borough of Queens, New York City, and the busiest airport in the United States for international arrivals and departures. Operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, it serves as a hub for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways, and its scale, complex runway layout and heavy jet traffic make it a demanding and rewarding destination for the simulator pilot.
John F Kennedy International Airport, known to pilots by its ICAO code KJFK, lies on Long Island within the borough of Queens in New York City, roughly 12 miles from Lower Manhattan. It is owned by the City of New York and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and functions as a home base for JetBlue Airways as well as a major hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, with around ninety airlines operating from the field. For a simulator pilot, JFK offers an intensive introduction to large-scale international airport operations, with long parallel runways, dense traffic sequencing and a busy Class B airspace environment.
JFK sits in southeastern New York City, in the Jamaica area of Queens, and lies within the New York Class B airspace shared with LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International Airports, the other two major airports operated by the Port Authority. The field's position on Long Island places it close to the coastline and within a tightly packed and heavily controlled airspace structure typical of the New York metropolitan area.
JFK has four physical runways. Runway 04L/22R is a hard-surfaced, lit runway with an ILS, with a declared length of 12,095 ft on the 04L threshold and 8,623 ft on the 22R threshold. Runway 04R/22L is a hard-surfaced, lit runway with an ILS on both ends, at 8,390 ft in each direction. Runway 13L/31R is a hard-surfaced, lit runway with an ILS on both ends, with declared lengths of 9,083 ft from 13L and 8,954 ft from 31R. Runway 13R/31L is a hard-surfaced, lit runway with an ILS available on the 31L end, with declared lengths of 12,450 ft from 13R and 11,229 ft from 31L. Field elevation is 10 ft.
JFK is a fully controlled tower airport. Kennedy Tower operates on 119.1 MHz, with an alternate tower frequency on 123.9 MHz. Ground control is on 121.65 MHz, with an alternate ground frequency on 121.9 MHz. Clearance delivery is available on 135.05 MHz. Approach control is provided by New York Approach on 125.7 MHz (Rober), 127.4 MHz (Camrn) and 132.4 MHz (Final), with New York Departure on 135.9 MHz. New York Radio is available on 115.9 MHz. The ATIS broadcasts on 115.1 MHz, and UNICOM is on 122.95 MHz. The airport is equipped with ILS approaches serving several runway ends, reflecting its status as a major instrument-approach airport.
JFK opened on 1 July 1948 as New York International Airport, later renamed in honour of President John F. Kennedy, and was previously known as Idlewild Airport. It was developed to handle the growing volume of transatlantic and domestic air traffic serving New York City and has since grown into one of the world's principal gateways for international travel. The airport is run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also operates Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, the other major fields serving the New York area.
JFK remains one of the busiest international airports in the United States, serving as a hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines and as the home base for JetBlue Airways, with roughly ninety airlines operating scheduled services from the field. It also handles a substantial share of the United States' international air cargo traffic. Given its status as a major Class B international airport with complex parallel runway operations, general aviation and simulator pilots planning a visit should expect to coordinate closely with air traffic control throughout arrival, taxi and departure.
