QUEENS, NEW YORK, March 31, 2014 – JFK International Air Terminal, LLC, the company which operates Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, has announced that Gert-Jan de Graaff, an international airport manager with more than 20 years of experience, has been appointed its new President & CEO.
As President & CEO, Mr. de Graaff will oversee day-to-day operations at Terminal 4, effective July 1, 2014. JFKIAT, LLC is owned by Schiphol USA Inc., a U.S. affiliate of Schiphol Group.
Mr. de Graaff will replace Alain Maca, who is retiring. Mr. Maca has overseen the construction and operations of Terminal 4 since its inception and has presided over its massive redevelopment in recent years.
Terminal 4 is one of the largest air terminals in the New York area, serving 30 international and domestic airlines with an annual passenger volume expected to reach 16 million travelers in 2014.
Having worked for Schiphol Group since 1995, Gert-Jan de Graaff has extensive international experience. He began as a Senior Director of Marketing & Account Management at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. In 2005, he took a position at Stockholm Airport in Sweden as Managing Director of Arlanda Schiphol Development Company.
Following on his successes in Sweden, Mr. de Graaff worked at Brisbane Airport Corporation in Australia where Schiphol Group is a 19 percent shareholder, first as Executive General Manager of Commercial Services and – since 2010 – as Executive General Manager of Strategic Planning and Development.
In 2012 and 2013, Mr. de Graaff was in charge of coordinating Schiphol Group's bid to operate Rio de Janeiro International Airport in Brazil.
On the appointment of Mr. de Graaff, Jos Nijhuis, President & CEO of Schiphol Group, said: “Alain Maca has stood at the head of JFK Airport's Terminal 4 from the very beginning and we are greatly indebted to him for all that he has achieved here. Under his leadership, Terminal 4 has grown into one of the best and most modern terminals for passengers. We believe Gert-Jan de Graaff will be a worthy successor of Alain Maca, not least in view of his international experience.”
“I wish Gert-Jan every success in the world as he takes the helm at JFKIAT,” said Mr. Maca. “I know he will continue to improve the travel experience and turn Terminal 4 into a world-class terminal.”
Regarded as “The Terminal of Choice,” Terminal 4 is now in its second phase of a major expansion project for Delta Air Lines which adds additional capacity and state-of-the-art technology.
About JFKIAT: JFKIAT, LLC operates Terminal 4 at JFK and is the only private, non-airline company to be selected by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to manage a terminal at JFK. Terminal 4 is one of the largest air terminals in the New York area, serving 30 international and domestic airlines with an annual passenger volume expected to reach 16 million travelers in 2014. With a major expansion currently underway to make Terminal 4 the new home of Delta Air Lines at JFK Airport, the 1.5-million-square-foot Terminal 4 will increase its size by more than one third. The first phase of the expansion project, completed in May 2013, resulted in improvements and enhancements that benefit all of Terminal 4’s airline partners and their passengers, including an in-line baggage system, a centralized security checkpoint and a host of new retail and restaurant offerings. JFKIAT, LLC is owned by Schiphol USA Inc., a U.S. affiliate of Schiphol Group. Visit us at www.jfkiat.com.
