JFKIAT’s CEO Huinink
T4 terminal executive talks 2018 successes and future vision
CEO AND PRESIDENT OF JFKIAT ROEL HUININK ADDRESSING THE T4 HOLIDAY PARTY. PHOTO BY JEFF YAPALATER
AIRPORT VOICE, FEBRUARY 2019 21
President and CEO Roel
Huinink of JFKIAT, Terminal
4 at JFK Airport welcomed
guests to the annual New
Year’s Party at the terminal.
He took this time to speak
about the growth and
innovation in 2018m and plans
for 2019.
Before an audience of more
than 200 guests, Huinink said
he was excited to be here at
JFK “I am excited to have
joined the JFK community
and honored to continue
building upon Terminal 4’s
success in 2019 and beyond. I
am thrilled to be working and
living in one of the greatest
cities in the world.”
Roel succeeded Gert-Jan de
Graaff and began his tenure
in August 2018.
Commenting, Huinink
said “to take a look back, 2018
was another great year for
Terminal 4.”
“In collaboration with our
airline partners, business
partners and stakeholders,
we served more than
21.5 million passengers,
sustaining the record high
passenger count that we
have achieved in 2017,” he
added. “Terminal 4 currently
accounts for one-third of all
air traffic at JFK,making us
the primary international
gateway to New York City
and the United States as a
whole.”
Huinink noted “our
passenger numbers continue
to increase; we continued
to focus on people and
enhancing the passenger
experience through
innovation, and customer
service improvements,
which included the new
Security Operations Center
(SOC) launched in 2018.
This SOC will continue
to keep the 70,000 daily
passengers and 13,000
employees safe and secure
in 2019 and beyond.
He also proudly
announced the welcome to
CLEAR to T4, “Which allows
our travelers to pass through
T4 with the tap of a finger or
blink of an eye.”
Speaking of environmental
concerns, he said,” JFKIAT
remains ambitious to have a
sustainable/ environmental
operation and are proud of our
LEED Gold certifi cation for
this terminal, Certifi cation
to the Green Restaurant
Association for our F&B
outlets and have recycled
56% of all the waste in this
Terminal.
Huinink acknowledged
that 2018 had, as all of us know,
a rough start with severe
impact to our passengers and
terminal operations.
But T4 – and the
JFK community have
systematically analyzed
the root causes and
diligently implemented
the recommendations
for improvements which
include a commitment to
more efficient baggage
repatriation system getting
lost bags and passengers
together faster, better
handling of passengers in
times of several weather,
greater communication
among the Terminal and al
airport agencies to insure
greater passenger comfort.
He also thanked his
airline partners for their the
continued support and are
reiterated the welcome two
new airlines, Volaris Costa
Rica and Kenya Airways
which is the fi rst airline to
connect East Africa with the
East coast of the US.
In 2019 the T34 CEO said,
“we are looking forward
to even more milestones,
including breaking ground
on a new American Express
Centurion Lounge, and
continuing to focus on
enhancing the passenger
experience through
innovation, technology,
safety and security and
convenience.
“JFKIAT and its parent
Schiphol future vision
includes bringing T4
customers the safest and
most seamless, empowering,
and memorable travel
experience in New York
City and one that is on
par with the world’s best
air terminals. In light of
recent announcements for
redevelopments of terminals
at JFK, this requires a
T4 transformation with
continuous investments in
new infrastructure, new
technology and our human
capital,” he said.
“JFKIAT looks forward
to working with all
stakeholders in the long
overdue redevelopment of
JFK International Airport,”
he added. “We will ensure
continuous updates and
involvement of our partners
and stakeholders in the T4
redevelopment process. We
appreciate your help and
support in representing
Terminal 4 and the entire
JFK community. And
take pride in collecting
over $110,000 in 2018 from
employees and passengers to
support local and nationwide
good causes. I would like to
thank each and every one
of you for joining in this
endeavor with us.”