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Delta Says Good Riddance to Pan Am's Old WorldPort Terminal at JFK

Where: JFK International Airport [map], New York, NY, United States
August 9, 2010 at 1:21 PM | by | Comment (1)


We recently took this video from the AirTrain as we approached Terminal 3

We warned you six months ago that New York-JFK Airport's old flying saucer-looking Terminal 3 could be torn down this year, and it's been officially announced that this will be the case, but it will take a tad bit longer. It will be bulldozed in about three years to make way for a parking lot, as Delta focuses their efforts next door on Terminal 4.

On one hand, the loss of Terminal 3 is something sad, since it once was a gem of architectural design and a home to the jet set as Pan Am's WorldPort. If you were heading from New York to one of Pan Am's exotic world destinations, then this place was the official start of your trip; as such, it's a building with memories for many.

On the other hand, the decades have not been as kind to Terminal 3 as they have been to TWA's old Terminal 5, which now enjoys landmark status and refurbishment. When we last flew out of Terminal 3, it was a nightmare of clogged security channels, general overcrowding and dilapidated surroundings. The roof of the terminal is cracked and leaking and a quick glance around told us all we need to know, that it's beyond the help of repairs and renovation.

Instead Delta will focus on Terminal 4, pumping $1.2 billion into it with an expansion and overhaul. At least we've got some time to bid farewell to Terminal 3, the WorldPort, before it heads to that great big airport in the sky.

If you'd like to follow along with the Terminal 3 saga, follow @JFKTerminal3 on Twitter, an unofficial account for the terminal that says such spot-on things as "If I am destroyed in this renovation, please God of Architecture DO NOT let me come back as a Walmart or Bed Bath and Beyond."

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Return to » Delta Says Good Riddance to Pan Am's Old WorldPort Terminal at JFK


Save the Pan Am Worldport

The old Worldport is done as an airport terminal, and has been for decades.

But that's no reason to tear the whole thing down. It's an icon just like the Saarinen TWA Flight Center and the futuristic Theme Building at LAX.

The rest of the terminal can be torn down but the "saucer" part can be refurbished and re-used as something useful. The cost of fixing it up will pay for itself. Think of all the money saved on EPA cleanup cost alone.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Pan-Am-Worldport/131386373551635
Anthony Stramaglia on November 26, 2011 at 6:28 PM #Permalink

Return to » Delta Says Good Riddance to Pan Am's Old WorldPort Terminal at JFK

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