*T4* COVID-19 Recovery
A Message to Our Valued T4 Airlines and Business Partners
At the outbreak of COVID-19, the entire JFKIAT organization mobilized to rapidly execute key response initiatives to help ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and customers. These response initiatives included among others, the mass distribution of anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitizer, face coverings, and implementing social distancing policies and signage to help prevent the spread.
At the same time, we developed strategic recovery working groups tasked with researching industry best practices via collaboration with our stakeholders and industry experts. We also mapped the customer journey to identify key touchpoints where support was expected and where we could eliminate pain points. For example: our branded S.M.I.L.E. at T4 communications campaign and T4 Safe Travel Resource Center leveraged key insights to set expectations and reduce the fear associated with traveling during the pandemic.
To rapidly analyze, evaluate, and execute on these best practices, we utilized a Lean Six Sigma Approach to prioritize initiatives projected to have the greatest impact and benefit to our employees and customers. As a result, our comprehensive recovery initiatives stretch across the entire employee and customer journey and leverage our strategic people, process, place and technology framework to create the safest and most contactless experience possible.
Going forward, we will continue this agile approach to monitoring, measuring, evaluating and optimizing our current recovery initiatives and implementing new and innovative initiatives. I invite you to review our response and recovery program on this page and please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.
I’m proud of what we have accomplished in a short period of time and thank all of our employees, stakeholders and partners for their contributions and support during these challenging times. Although there are many unknowns in the near future, I’m confident that the resiliency of the T4 Community will allow us to pull through together and return better than before.
Roel Huinink
President and CEO
JFK International Air Terminal LLC
Hygiene & Sanitization
- Installed 40 hand wipes dispensers with trash receptacles.
- Tested anti-microbial applicant on high touch surfaces.
- Installed baby changing disposable liners dispensers.
- Installing 34 touchless water bottle filling stations.
- Installing 40 dual product hand sanitizer / wipes dispenser stations.
- Installing 184 sanitary receptacles in women’s restrooms.
- Installing 112 social distancing urinal and sink covers.
- Installing touchless soap dispensers in 24 restrooms.
Health & Well-being
- Deployed PPE (masks and gloves) to JFKIAT employees.
- Implemented daily temperature checks for all JFKIAT staff.
- Created 2 teams (A and B) to prevent cross contamination and introduced successful work from home policy.
- Trained staff on the use of PPE and best health and wellness practices.
- Maintained continuous communication with staff and community related to COVID19 guidelines on PPE use and health and wellness practices.
- Partnered with XpresSpa and PANYNJ to implement XpresCheck onsite employee testing center.
- Completed trial of (Thales) employee temperature screening system.
- Extended mask distribution to passengers and patrons.
- Implementing pilot of (FLIR) passenger elevated body temperature screening for passengers.
- Implementing trial of (OMNISENSE) mass temperature screening for employees.
Social Distancing & Queuing
- Installed social distancing signage and floor decals at queues.
- Implemented two people per elevator car policy and posted signage.
- Installed 46 plexiglass barriers at check-in desks, customer service kiosks and other areas.
- Installed 200 plexiglass barriers.
- Installed 60 stanchion signs and 200 floor decals in CBP.
- Installed 20 stanchion signs and 150 floor decals in TSA.
- Installed 60 stanchion signs 20 floor decals, and 55 belt clips in ticketing queues.
- Installed floor decals in cabs of all public and service elevators.
- Installed 170 floor decals at gate hold seating.
- Installed floor signs at 25 escalators and 21 moving walkways.
- Set up standard queue mazes at rows 4 to 8.
- Implemented social distancing monitoring at the ticketing and screening checkpoint using Crowdvision platform.
- Installed 1,100 social distancing labels inside passenger boarding bridges.
- Implemented social distancing and occupancy level measures at the employee checkpoint, welcome centers, information desks, conference rooms, and offices.
- Developing space density and occupancy monitoring at the CBP Passport Control area using BlipTrack platform.
Contactless Transactions
- Installed large signage for closed shops and restaurants.
- Posted hours of operation for open shops and restaurants at key locations in the retail lounge.
- Mandated sealed utensils for To-Go units to avoid cross contamination
- Credit and debit signature thresholds increased from $25 to $100 to reduce contact with POS terminal.
- Installed two PPE vending machines
- Implemented self-service scanning at concessions and retail shops for contactless experience
- Installed contactless payment signage in the retail lounge and both concourses.
- Implementing moving receipt printers from POS to counters for contactless experience.
Communications
- Launched dedicated COVID-19 web site pages with FAQs.
- Launched weekly T4 community COVID-19 email newsletter.
- Launched COVID-19 social media campaigns with health and safety tips.
- Added CDC graphics and social distancing suggestions to FIDs and BIDs.
- Began terminal-wide audio announcements promoting social distancing.
- Launched S.M.I.L.E. campaign: video, online, print and digital throughout terminal.
- Launched online T4 Safe Travel Resource Center.
- Distributed temperature screening awareness shirt buttons to all JFKIAT employees.
- Distributing keychain stylus to PAX at Information Desk for contactless experience.
Now Testing at T4
JFKIAT is proud to host XpresCheck at T4, the first COVID-19 screening and testing location at a United States air terminal. XpresCheck is located on the ground floor Arrivals Hall and offers COVID-19 15-minute Rapid Molecular testing, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Blood Antibody testing by appointment to the public. Some health insurance providers may provide coverage for the cost of testing, but it is recommended that you contact your insurance carrier to determine your coverage. To learn more about XpresCheck testing and schedule an appointment, visit the XpresCheck web site or call 1-718-751-4640. As we continue to implement new health and safety initiatives within T4 since the beginning of the pandemic, we are pleased to offer this program to leverage cutting edge technology for the safety of our customers and employees.
T4 Tip
Need information on authorized airport shuttle services? You’ll find a complete list with contact details here.