New York Mayor Bloomberg starts spreading the news: Delta Air Lines’ new JFK Terminal 4 is awesome

It was the best of days to experience New York and be a part of it. And that day, Mayor Michael Bloomberg started spreading the news by laying out the welcome mat to travelers amid thunderous applause.

The setting was the gleaming and beautiful Terminal 4 of the John F. Kennedy International Airport, inaugurated last May 24 by Delta Air Lines.

“Thanks to Delta Air Lines’ $1.4 billion investment, travelers to and from JFK will experience a state-of-the-art facility with improved amenities and better services,” declared Bloomberg. “Our goal is 50 million tourists coming this year to New York which is the nation’s number one travel destination.”

Delta’s Terminal 4 is a dream travel hub measuring two million square feet. The new world-class entrance to the Big Apple carries sleek features: Nine new and seven renovated international gates, where 75 percent of the seats have access to electric outlets. Improved and renovated check-in areas, including a dedicated Sky Priority checkpoint for first-and business-class passengers. A centralized security checkpoint. New dining and retail offerings such as local restaurant favorites Blue Smoke and Shake Shack. And a new, streamlined in-line baggage system.

The new 24,000-square-foot flagship Delta Sky Club with the first-ever Sky Deck outdoor terrace — developed in partnership with Architectural Digest — is the largest in the Delta system. Renowned designer Thom Felicia created a distinctive space that allows comfort as well as sweeping airport runway views. A chef-designed menu allows travelers to enjoy a pre-departure meal that enables them to sleep immediately after takeoff. Master sommelier Andrea Robinson created a premium wine-by-the-glass program for the Club with many vintages usually available only by the bottle, including Dom Perignon and Muga “Prado Enea” Gran Reserva. Passengers needing privacy can reserve the Ciroc Lounge, which offers a private setting and entertainment space.

Delta’s Terminal 4 at JFK replaces the terminal built by Pan Am in 1960 that, after five decades, had become “decrepit” — an embarrassing way to welcome millions of visitors to the United States.

“It’s all about investments; that’s what it takes to be the leading airline in the world,” stated Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer. “It’s an exciting time at Delta and JFK Terminal 4 is emblematic of the investments we are making in New York and around the world. We are celebrating today, thanks to our partners in this project, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, JFK International Air Terminal and the Schiphol Group.

“We have made an important step in controlling our destiny by purchasing our own oil refinery, thus enabling us to reduce the cost of refining jet fuel,” Anderson added. “We have this commitment to being the best for travelers around the world.”

Delta — which is the official airline of the New York Yankees, Mets, Knicks and Rangers — was named by Fortune magazine as “The Most Admired Airline Worldwide” in 2013.

“The paradigm shift in the last decade after 9/11 has led to acquisitions (including Northwest) and important mergers,” Anderson explained. “To strengthen our global network, we’ve made investments too, from partnerships with Aeromexico, GOL and Virgin Atlantic Airways. We’ve also deepened our existing ties with partners Alaska Airlines and Virgin Australia.”

A founding member of the Sky Team global alliance, Delta has a trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-La Guardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita.

Delta flies customers to more destinations than any airline in the world. It offers flights to 340 destinations in 65 countries on six continents. With headquarters in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a fleet of more than 700 aircraft.

* * *

Delta has two flights daily to the USA from Manila via Narita and Nagoya. More information is available on delta.com, Twitter@Delta, Google.com / +Delta ad Facebook.com/delta.