The $10-billion journey to redevelop New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport got underway officially on July 18, as the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey issued a request for proposals for the multifaceted program’s preliminary engineering and design services.

Announced earlier this year by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), the upgrade at the Queens, N.Y., facility is expected to rely heavily on private investment to fully fund a suite of major projects aimed at improving access to and within the nation’s busiest international passenger airport. The Port Authority projects that JFK’s 2016 passenger count of 59 million will nearly double by 2050.

Key elements of the redevelopment program include creating a more unified, interconnected terminal complex, to be achieved through the expansion of newer facilities and replacement of older ones, some of which have been in use for more than 45 years. JFK’s internal road network and parking facilities also are targeted for improvements, while envisioned upgrades to the AirTrain transit system would double capacity, to 40 million passengers annually. Cargo facilities, airside systems and other support infrastructure could potentially undergo upgrades, as well.

In addition, the state of New York has committed $1.5 billion for new travel lanes to the Van Wyck Expressway, the main highway to JFK, and for reconfiguring a major interchange near the airport to help alleviate congestion.

The JFK redevelopment plan would complement a facility makeover already underway at another major New York City airport: LaGuardia Airport, also in Queens. On July 20, Delta Airlines said it would self-finance most of a $4-billion renovation of its primary passenger facility there, following the withdrawal of its financial partner, Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Slated for substantial completion in 2026, the project will create a 37-gate terminal for Delta, along with improvements to nearby roadways, a parking garage expansion, and a connection to a new central hall being built as part of a separate $4 billion P3 redevelopment of LaGuardia’s Terminal B. Begun last year by a Skanska-led design-build consortium, that project is set for completion in mid-2022.