JFK AirTrain opens for business

Travelling from the centre of New York to its main airport has traditionally been a rather painful process – until now. AirTrain, a USD1.9 billion rail line linking the city to JFK airport, opened for business yesterday, with promises that it would end the misery of many of the 30-odd million people who fly from JFK each year. According to the Financial Times, the trip from Manhattan to JFK will still not be problem free, as it still requires a taxi or subway ride to either of the two AirTrain terminals. The newspaper reports that getting from the city centre to the airport used to take as long as two hours in a rush-hour taxi; the new facility will take passengers from Jamaica or Howard Beach to the airport in around 12 minutes at a cost of USD5 each way. New York Port Authority, which owns the new system, says it will carry as many as 34,000 people a day to JFK. The Financial Times reports that New York mayor Michael Bloomberg yestery welcomed the new train as a “new era in the growth of New York City’s aviation industry.