In the 1960s, the airport became home to several new passenger terminals, including one of the icons of modern American architecture - the TWA Flight Center, designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen. Rehabilitation work is currently under way in the building, and it is expected to reopen to the public later this year, as is a new passenger terminal under construction directly behind the Saarinen terminal. In the 70's and 80's, JFK saw the advent of supersonic flight and ever-larger jets, including the inaugural voyage of the B- 747. In the 1990s, the Port Authority spearheaded what would become a $9 billionplus, public-private redevelopment program that has delivered new terminals, parking garages, roadways, cargo facilities and AirTrain JFK, the airport's rail system, which opened in 2003 - on the 100th anniversary of powered flight - and has since served tens of millions of airport customers. The Port Authority's 10-year capital plan earmarks more than $6.4 billion for aviation-related improvements. The Port Authority is offering free rides on its AirTrain JFK on Friday to celebrate the 60th anniversary

of John F. Kennedy International Airport, the country's leading international gateway. The 8-mile long AirTrain connects the terminals at the airport with the Long Island Rail Road and New York City subway stations in Jamaica and Howard Beach in Queens. The fare is normally $5 one-way. Next month, the airport ushers in another new era: The first scheduled flight of the A-380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world, is set to arrive at JFK's Terminal 4 on August 1.

transportation system in minutes when there is a heightened threat. Additional TSA employee-led teams will be deployed to airports with the greatest volume of cargo on passenger-carrying aircraft later this year. These teams will raise the total TSA-certified canine explosive detection team population to more than 800 dogs from coast to coast in airports and mass transit systems.

79 feet, 7 inches high with a wing span of 261 feet, 8 inches. Emirates' A380s have a range of up to 9,320 miles and offer better fuel economy per passenger mile than most hybrid passenger cars. The A380 is also quieter - both inside and outside of the cabin - generating less than half the noise of other aircrafts on take off. Emirates' A380 - with 14 First Class, 76 Business Class and 399 Economy seats - represents the latest example of innovation and technology from a company that has already won hundreds of international awards for in-flight amenities and services. Unique to the Emirates aircraft are its Shower Spas, two fully-equipped bathrooms in the First Class cabins with shower facilities. In addition to increasing cabin crew for its A380, Emirates brought in Cabin Service Assistants tasked with keeping the Shower Spas clean for the exclusive use of First Class passengers.

Runways and taxiways will become more efficient, aircraft on the ground will be more closely tracked, and greater use of the largest passenger and cargo planes will increase capacity at John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports as the result of $68 million worth of improvement programs approved by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners. The action comes two weeks after the Port Authority's Flight Delay Task Force, a high-level group of influential stakeholders in the aviation industry that produced more than 100 recommendations to reduce delays, increase safety and improve customer service, reconvened to demand that federal officials overhaul a 1950s era air traffic control system. The Port Authority has called for solutions that increase capacity through investments in new technology and opposes efforts to limit capacity by implementing an auction system for airlines to bid on slots. The measures approved by the Board include: * Installation of a ground surveillance system at Kennedy Airport that works like GPS to pinpoint the exact location of all aircraft at the airport. * Extension of Taxiways "YA" and "FB" at JFK to improve departure procedures on Runway 22R.

The Port Authority reconvened its Flight Delay Task Force to continue to press for the more than 100 recommendations it proposed in a December 2007 report to expand capacity, reduce flights delays and improve customer service for delayed passengers. The agency also renewed calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the air traffic control system and reiterated its opposition to any flight slot auction plan. Last year, the task force brought together for the first time major stakeholders in the aviation industry to work collaboratively on the issue of flight delays in the New York region and produced a detailed set of recommendations. Port Authority executives noted that auctions are not expected to reduce flight delays and will only serve as an additional tax on metropolitan area passengers, increasing tickets prices by an estimated 12 percent. Additionally, 25 small and medium- sized aviation markets will lose service to and from New York-area airports as auctions will heavily favor aircraft operating only between large markets. The 100 recommendations the Port Authority has endorsed for reducing delays include fast-tracking "Next Gen" technology and implementing the system at New York-area airports first; implementing area navigation, or RNAV, an advanced technique of precise point-to-point navigation to increase aircraft throughput; and development of new procedures and technology to use multiple runways simultaneously and safely. The Port Authority wrote a strongly worded letter to FAA head, Sturgess to appeal for these upgrades as soon as possible.

Authorized a $45 million increase in spending for the Terminal B Modernization Program at Newark Liberty International Airport, bringing the total project authorization to $324.6 million.