Author: Julia Lauria-Blum

The Blessing of the Animals is a ceremony held annually, celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (c.1181-1226) on and around October 4th. As the patron saint of animals and the environment, the tradition of the blessing is inspired by St. Francis’s deep love for all creatures and reflects his belief in the harmony of all living beings, their connection to the divine, and gives thanks for the beauty of the animal kingdom. On October 7th, a Blessing of the Animals ceremony was held at The ARK at JFK for the animals who arrived at JFK with ‘their…

Employment at airports offers a wide range of occupational opportunities. Jobs and careers at airports are as diverse as the multitude of operations that are performed at these complex epicenters for air travel, 365 days a year. Applicants with the skills needed for an entry-level position at an airport can lead them to a well-paying job, a management or senior position, or a specialized role that requires specific training and licenses. From terminal and ground operations to customer service and all support service roles, airports function as self-contained urban complexes, or, using a more colorful term, an aerotropolis. Airports are…

According to the World Animal Foundation, every year approximately 920,000 homeless pets are euthanized in the United States (390,000 dogs and 530,000 cats) primarily due to a lack of space. According to the latest data, Almost 5.7 Million Animal Enter Shelters Annually, of which 2.8 Million are Dogs and 2.9 Million are Cats. Providing a loving home for a rescued pet is one of life’s greatest pleasures, as well as an essential commitment that an adopter makes toward caring for a deserving animal, companion, and treasured friend. Adopting a dog or cat through a rescue organization saves lives and gives them…

Whether you are a seasoned New Yorker or an awestruck newcomer, the magic of NYC is truly captivating. New York City… its appeal is undeniable, with its mixture of culture, celebrated sights, diverse experiences, and its offerings of something for every traveler, whether a first-time visitor, a seasoned voyager, or a local denizen. With four of its five boroughs on islands, it is geographically unique. Composed of Manhattan Island, Staten Island, and Long Island, where Brooklyn and Queens are located, only the Bronx is on the mainland of New York State, and each borough is separated by a series of…

On July 25th, a very special event took place at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City as the museum hosted ‘An Evening with Colonel Eileen Collins” with an exclusive in-person screening of the new documentary film, “Spacewoman.” The event marked two major milestones in spaceflight history; the 25th anniversary since NASA astronaut and Air Force Colonel Collins became the first female space shuttle commander during the STS-93 mission on July 22, 1999, and the 20th year since Collins commanded Shuttle mission STS-114 “Return to Flight” mission on July 26, 2005, after the Columbia tragedy. Collins was also the first…

The old adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” serves as a reminder that it takes time to create something truly great. And that is certainly the case with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s ongoing $19 billion transformation of JFK International Airport into a world-class gateway, which will include two new terminals, the modernization and expansion of two existing terminals, a new ground transportation center, and a completely new, simplified roadway network. With its two major new terminals set to open in 2026, travelers into and out of JFK International Airport are only a year…

On June 17th, the commemorative return of Pan Am to JFK International Airport marked a significant moment for all those in attendance at Terminal 7. As the story of this inaugural flight is the cover feature on Metropolitan Airport News’ July issue, Re-Tracing the Transatlantic, I recently asked Louise Koch, one of the passengers on the 12-day ‘Tracing the Transatlantic’ flight, what it meant to her and her sister Cheryl. For this month’s Editor’s Notebook, I’d like to share Louise’s reply with you, in her own words. Crossing the Transatlantic With Pan Am and What It Meant to Me By…

On a misty morning this past June, a white Boeing 757 taxied toward Terminal 7 at JFK International Airport. Inside the terminal’s Gate 5 waiting area, a huddle of enthusiastic passengers and spectators stood by the gate’s airside window overlooking the tarmac, eagerly awaiting the jetliner’s arrival. As the airplane neared the gate, the lettering on the forward section of its fuselage revealed the name ‘PAN AM’, and on its tail fin was the prominent blue ‘Pan Am Globe’. The return of the iconic airline Pan Am to Kennedy Airport that day, nearly 34 years after the carrier ceased operations…

On June 17, the return of Pan Am to JFK International Airport marked a pivotal moment in aviation history, as the airport undergoes a massive $19 billion renovation to restore JFK to the iconic status it enjoyed during the Pan Am years. Though a misty fog descended upon the airport that morning, it did not dampen the pioneering spirit reminiscent of Pan Am’s early years when the first private chartered jet commemorative Pan Am journey called, ‘Pan Am: Tracing the Transatlantic”, taxied to Gate 5 at Terminal 7 and took off from JFK Airport with 35 passengers in a Boeing…

After boarding a plane for a recent flight to Los Angeles out of JFK, I was admiring some of the liveries of the adjacent aircraft from my window seat. Off to my right, I noticed a red JetBlue A320 with colors that stood out from the rest of the standard ‘blue’ liveries and trademark patterns on the airline’s fleet lined up at their departure gates. Airline liveries are the unique designs, insignia, or graphics on aircraft that provide a distinctive branding that represents an airline’s image or identity. Special liveries are exclusive paint schemes often used to celebrate events or…