The Port Authority predicted that the AirTrain's opening would create 118 jobs at JFK Airport.
Service was originally planned to begin on the Howard Beach branch in October 2002, followed by the Jamaica branch in 2003, but was delayed because of several incidents during testing.
In July 2002, three workers were injured during an AirTrain derailment, and in September 2002, a train operator died in another derailment.
The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the second crash found that the train had sped excessively on a curve.
As a result, the opening was postponed until June 2003, and then to December 17, 2003, its eventual opening date.

Southeast Queens residents feared the project could become a boondoggle, as the construction cost of the system had increased to $1.9 billion.
Like other Port Authority properties, the AirTrain did not receive subsidies from the state or city for its operating costs.
This was one of the reasons cited for the system's relatively high initial $5 fare, which was more than twice the subway's fare at the time of the AirTrain's opening.

Several projects were developed in anticipation of the AirTrain.
By June 2003, a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m²), 16-story building was being planned for Sutphin Boulevard across from the Jamaica station.
Other nearby projects built in the preceding five years included the Jamaica Center Mall, Joseph P. Addabbo Federal Building, the Civil Court, and the Food and Drug Administration Laboratory and Offices.
After AirTrain JFK began operations, Jamaica saw a boom in commerce.
A 15-screen movie theater opened in the area in early 2004, and developers were also planning a 13-floor building in the area.
A proposed hotel above the AirTrain terminal was canceled after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In 2004, the city proposed rezoning 40 blocks of Jamaica, centered around the AirTrain station, as a commercial area.
The mixed-use "airport village" was to consist of 5 million square feet (460,000 m²) of space.
According to the RPA, the rezoning was part of a proposal to re-envision Jamaica as a "regional center" because of the area's high usage as a transit hub.
During the average weekday, 100,000 LIRR riders and 53,000 subway riders traveled to or from Jamaica.
In addition, the Port Authority had estimated that the AirTrain JFK would carry 12.4 million passengers a year.

Plans to extend the AirTrain to Manhattan were examined even before the system's opening.
Between September 2003 and April 2004, several agencies, including the MTA and the Port Authority, conducted a feasibility study of the Lower Manhattan–Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project, which would allow subway or LIRR trains to travel directly from JFK Airport to Manhattan.
The study examined forty alternatives, but the project was halted in 2008 before an environmental impact statement could be created.
The Port Authority predicted that the AirTrain's opening would create 118 jobs at JFK Airport. Service was originally planned to begin on the Howard Beach branch in October 2002, followed by the Jamaica branch in 2003, but was delayed because of several incidents during testing. In July 2002, three workers were injured during an AirTrain derailment, and in September 2002, a train operator died in another derailment. The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the second crash found that the train had sped excessively on a curve. As a result, the opening was postponed until June 2003, and then to December 17, 2003, its eventual opening date.
Southeast Queens residents feared the project could become a boondoggle, as the construction cost of the system had increased to $1.9 billion. Like other Port Authority properties, the AirTrain did not receive subsidies from the state or city for its operating costs. This was one of the reasons cited for the system's relatively high initial $5 fare, which was more than twice the subway's fare at the time of the AirTrain's opening.
Several projects were developed in anticipation of the AirTrain. By June 2003, a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m²), 16-story building was being planned for Sutphin Boulevard across from the Jamaica station. Other nearby projects built in the preceding five years included the Jamaica Center Mall, Joseph P. Addabbo Federal Building, the Civil Court, and the Food and Drug Administration Laboratory and Offices. After AirTrain JFK began operations, Jamaica saw a boom in commerce. A 15-screen movie theater opened in the area in early 2004, and developers were also planning a 13-floor building in the area. A proposed hotel above the AirTrain terminal was canceled after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In 2004, the city proposed rezoning 40 blocks of Jamaica, centered around the AirTrain station, as a commercial area. The mixed-use "airport village" was to consist of 5 million square feet (460,000 m²) of space. According to the RPA, the rezoning was part of a proposal to re-envision Jamaica as a "regional center" because of the area's high usage as a transit hub. During the average weekday, 100,000 LIRR riders and 53,000 subway riders traveled to or from Jamaica. In addition, the Port Authority had estimated that the AirTrain JFK would carry 12.4 million passengers a year.
Plans to extend the AirTrain to Manhattan were examined even before the system's opening. Between September 2003 and April 2004, several agencies, including the MTA and the Port Authority, conducted a feasibility study of the Lower Manhattan–Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project, which would allow subway or LIRR trains to travel directly from JFK Airport to Manhattan. The study examined forty alternatives, but the project was halted in 2008 before an environmental impact statement could be created.
AirTrain JFK