Raising the standard for performanceand sustainability at JFK’s T4 throughtechnology and trust

Challenge

Built in 2001, Terminal 4 (T4) is JFK’s largest terminal, welcoming 80,000 visitors to New York each day. For over a decade, ABM has enabled the terminal’s operator, JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT), to meet daily operational demands and reach increasingly ambitious sustainability and satisfaction goals. ABM was tasked to bring “inside-out thinking” to solve the challenges that come with legacy infrastructure.

Solution

Scaling up to sustainability

Since partnering with T4 in 2010, ABM has helped lead the efforts in T4 becoming the first U.S. air terminal to be awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2017.

In 2022, T4 became the first and only pre-existing air terminal to be awarded LEED Platinum distinction. ABM helped to achieve this milestone by integrating next-generation technology—including automated work orders, demand-based staffing, and beacon connectivity—as well as side-by-side collaboration and partnership with JFKIAT. The results have been far-reaching and widely recognized. When compared to similar buildings, Terminal 4 uses 21 percent less water, 2.25 percent less electricity, and has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent.

Making a trip to the restroom a destination

According to Airports Council International, washroom and terminal cleanliness are the two most essential infrastructure factors that impact overall passenger satisfaction. At T4, our 385 janitorial and maintenance team members go beyond scheduled cleaning. Using passenger flow data and mobile technology, ABM assigns cleaning crews to specific gates and times. It’s a responsive, “around the clock” effort. Since beginning work in 2010, bathroom satisfaction scores have improved 7 percentage points on average.

The Internet of Things (IoT) takes off

For T4, innovation is standard practice. ABM is continually piloting solutions across the IoT maintenance ecosystem. This “smart clean” package provides supervisors with detailed information about restrooms and janitorial staffing. It accounts for passenger throughput, cleaning time stamps, staff activity, and an alert log. The result:

- Higher levels of satisfaction through demand-based resourcing: ABM schedules services and assigns employees throughout the terminal based on departure and arrival times. This means every area, gate, and restroom “looks like new” whenever—and wherever—the next influx of passengers arrives.
 
- Increased visibility with beacons for real-time intelligence: Our groundbreaking beacon technology allows T4 to prioritize work by demand instead of available resources. This single dashboard delivers information such as work order statuses, team member locations, and audit results to improve workforce productivity, efficiency, resource allocation, and cross-utilization.
 
- Faster response times: ABM anticipates new work orders with real-time proximity data and AI to dispatch the nearest team member automatically. This mitigates satisfaction issues before they escalate.

Redefining clean

For post-Covid travelers, thorough, consistent cleaning at JFK’s T4 delivers more than peace of mind. It’s measurable and stands up against the highest standards across industries—including healthcare. In fact, EnhancedClean™ quality checks and AT Swabs reveal a 98% rating, even cleaner than what’s considered an “acceptable level” at hospitals.

Transparency and communication

As Vedat Albardak, Director of Facility Services at ABM says, “We show them exactly what we’re going to do, and provide supporting documents with our expenditures so they’re well aware of what’s going on within the terminal and our budget. We have walkthroughs with the client, weekly and monthly meetings. We have an open book policy with them.” Both ABM and JFKIAT perform regular, independent quality assurance checks, ensuring elevated levels of performance, backed by data.

Quick Stats

- 25 million annual passengers
- 2.3 million square feet
- First and only pre-existing air terminal to be certified LEED Platinum

Services

- Janitorial
- Window cleaning
- Pest control
- Ramp cleaning
- Ramp line painting
- Bird removal
- Plant maintenance

Areas Served

- Landside & Airside terminal
- Food court
- Restrooms
- Gate hold rooms
- Jet bridges
- Concessions
- Non-public facility areas