American Airlines moved its international service at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) into Concourse B of its new $1.3 billion terminal, which is near the recently opened and brand-new U.S. Customs and Immigrations facility. This sets the stage for improving the travel experience for passengers arriving into and departing from JFK.

With the opening of Concourse B, American increases its number of gates in the new facility from 18 to 28, with 15 able to handle arriving international flights. When all of the $1.3 billion terminal is complete in early 2008, the facility will have 36 gates, with 19 capable of handling international arrivals.

The latest efforts are part of Phase II of the construction of American’s state-of-the-art terminal, the newest and largest airline terminal at JFK, which is designed to serve the needs of millions of domestic and international travelers for decades to come.

Today, American flies from JFK to 38 destinations, 23 of them international, with 92 flights a day. American is the only U.S. airline to fly nonstop from New York to London’s Heathrow Airport and Tokyo.

“The new 82,000 square-foot Customs and Immigrations facility has 32 Immigration positions and 10 Customs positions capable of processing 1,600 travelers per hour, compared to just 1,200 per hour previously. That is just one of the ways customers will realize the benefits of American’s new terminal,” said Dan Garton, American`s Executive Vice President - Marketing.

“This terminal represents one of the biggest, boldest and most expensive projects in American Airlines history, and it underscores our commitment to JFK and New York and our determination to preserve New York`s status as one of the world’s premier domestic and international gateways. It also reaffirms our commitment to provide our customers with the best possible travel experience.”

“New York is important to American Airlines for many reasons,” Garton said. “A huge number of our customers live here; it’s one of the world’s top tourist destinations; and as a gateway from the United States to the rest of the world, it plays a very strategic role in our global network. In addition, we have 8,500 members of the AA team in the area, so New York has a very special place in our hearts and minds.”

The new Concourse B will offer an extensive concessions program that will include duty-free shopping and retailers and service providers.

In June, American will unveil in Concourse B a 11,200 square foot Admirals Club and a 7,000 square foot Flagship Lounge for international First-Class passengers, as well as other eligible First Class passengers on certain domestic transcontinental flights.