Airplane Art Installation Crafted from Plastics Diverted from Landfills Now on View for Earth Month at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4

JFK Art Installation — Natsuki Takauji

‘Future Flight’ Made of Reused Consumer Plastic is Result of Partnership Between Port Authority, Terminal 4 Operator JFKIAT and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Special Installation is Latest Addition to Arts and Culture Program at JFK Terminal 4 to Reflect New York City’s Vibrant, Diverse Arts Community

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and JFKIAT, the operator of John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4, today unveiled a new Earth Month art exhibit inside the airport’s Terminal 4 by New York-based artist Natsuki Takauji. The installation was facilitated through a partnership with Materials for the Arts (MFTA), a Queens-based sustainable program of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The airplane-themed artwork, titled “Future Flight,” is made of consumer plastics Takauji sourced from MFTA, which diverts more than 1.5 million pounds of supplies from landfills and provides them as materials for arts and culture projects across New York City. “Future Flight” resembles an airplane made from a range of plastic materials that were once recycle bins, spoons and forks, food containers, toys, and even a Barbie doll. The colorful work, which also incorporates moss and artificial turf, is a reminder of the range of waste that end up at landfills and the importance of recycling and sustainable initiatives for the betterment of the planet.

“Our gateways that welcome millions of travelers to this region reflect where we are and also who we are,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “This installation is a good-natured yet poignant reminder of the focus that the Port Authority and its partners place on sustainability, and the role all of us have to play in keeping our planet healthy. We’re proud to give it a home at Terminal 4.” 

“We strive to feature imaginative and thought-provoking public art at our world-class airports to enhance our customers’ travel experience,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “We hope our Terminal 4 customers will take a moment to appreciate ‘Future Flight’ during this Earth Month and the conversations around sustainability that it may spark.” 

Inspiring public art is a core component of the Port Authority’s $19 billion transformation of John F. Kennedy International Airport into a world-class airport. At Terminal 4, JFKIAT and Delta Air Lines are nearing completion of a $1.5 billion expansion and modernization program, including 10 new gates and 150,000 square feet of additional space. New gates have already enabled Delta to consolidate all of its operations at Terminal 4. The terminal’s expansion and modernization will add new check-in counters to improve capacity and efficiency through state-of-the art technology, new self-service kiosks and bag check locations, and renovations to restrooms, baggage claim and arrival areas, as well as new retail and an expanded public art program.

“Future Flight” is the latest addition to the T4 Arts & Culture program, which is part of the Port Authority’s and JFKIAT’s commitment to supporting the local community and providing travelers with experiences that epitomize New York City. The JFKIAT arts program is facilitated by a committee that includes the Port Authority, the Museum of the City of New York, Delta Air Lines and the Terminal Four Airline Consortium.

Earlier this year, the Port Authority and JFKIAT also unveiled new additions to the T4 Arts & Culture program that included a digital and static photography exhibit in collaboration with the Cradle of Aviation Museum; a mural representing Queens by local artist Zeehan Wazed; a series of photographs by Terminal 4 employees who share their passion for aviation; and a hologram installation in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society featuring extensive video elements about wildlife and wild places, Bronx Zoo’s animals and its director, Jim Breheny. 

“At JFKIAT, sustainability is a pillar of our company’s mission to responsibly steward the largest terminal at JFK Airport,” said Roel Huinink, CEO of JFKIAT. “We are very proud of the work we’ve done in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to lead our industry in sustainable air terminal management. In 2022, T4 was named the first existing airport terminal in the U.S. to earn LEED Platinum recognition for pre-existing air terminals, and The Green Restaurant Association awarded T4 the 2023 Greenest Airport Terminal Award, highlighting how the terminal has more Certified Green Restaurants® than any other airport terminal in North America. This latest installation is a great representation of our commitment to driving awareness around sustainability for our community and our planet. We are very excited to work with the MFTA to showcase this impactful art exhibit and share the exceptional work of Natsuki Takauji with our passengers and the T4 community.”

“The Department of Cultural Affairs is immensely proud of our Materials for the Arts program and the incredible work they do to foster a cleaner, greener, more creative NYC,” said New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “Last year alone, MFTA diverted over 1.7 million pounds of supplies from landfills, providing reusable supplies free of charge to arts and cultural nonprofits, public school teachers, and social service organizations. We’re overjoyed to see MFTA’s support in realizing artist Natsuki Takauji’s extraordinary installation, where her airplane creation takes flight in one of our city’s busiest transit hubs, symbolizing not just physical travel but also creative reuse, soaring imagination, and the creative spirit of our city.”

“For this joyful sculptural installation at JFK’s Terminal 4, Natsuki Takauji masterfully uses MFTA supplies, including recycled bins, plastic utensils, and toys, to convey the message of sustainability and creative reuse in such a beautiful, accessible way,” said MFTA Executive Director Tara Sansone. “We extend our gratitude to JFKIAT for their incredible supply donations to Materials for the Arts, which will amplify the message of creative reuse to the vast array of travelers from all over the globe passing through the airport’s largest terminal.”

“This project brought me a new experience working with recyclable materials, and thinking of upcycling art, aircraft business and sustainability,” said artist Natsuki Takauji. “Creating it at Materials for the Arts was a meaningful process that made me imagine the stories of materials: where they came from, what they were meant to be, and what they can become. As an artist, I always find public art is a powerful way to communicate with public but transforming the materials to give a new voice and vision to be shown at JFK Airport was a very inspiring and empowering experience for me.”

The T4 Arts & Culture program presents a curated, ongoing series of installations, exhibits and performances within Terminal 4 throughout the year that represent the full New York City experience, from local art to food, culture and beyond. Terminal 4 will also house a collection of permanent art installations in the future. Previous programs and installations at the terminal have included: a Pride Pop-up Museum in partnership with the LGBT Network and the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, which highlighted a range of artwork and historical pride information; a partnership with Steinway & Sons to present a week-long series of performances in the retail hall spotlighting 19 local pianists and artists; a mural that raised awareness around mental health and helped to reduce the stigma toward people who experience mental illness, created as part of the NYC Mural Arts Project and displayed in the Arrivals Hall in 2022; and a powerful musical performance honoring 32 veterans at Terminal 4 in partnership with CreatiVets, in celebration of Veterans Day in 2022.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state agency that builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. For over a century, the agency’s network of major airports; critical bridges, tunnels and bus terminals; a commuter rail line; and the busiest seaport on the East Coast has been among the most vital in the country – transporting hundreds of millions of people and moving essential goods into and out of the region. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, which today welcomes tens of thousands of office workers and millions of annual visitors. The agency’s historic $37 billion 10-year capital plan includes unprecedented transformation of the region’s three major airports – LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK – as well as an array of other new and upgraded assets, including the $2 billion renovation of the 90-year-old George Washington Bridge. The Port Authority’s annual budget of $9.3 billion includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, visit www.panynj.gov or check out the Now Arriving blog.