Ink Innovation: JFK T1 builds resilience into operations

How JFK Terminal One maintain service throughout system failures and power outages

When a three-day power outage shut down operations in 2022, JFK Terminal One needed a way to check in passengers without relying on counters, power, or Wi-Fi. Ink offered a solution that worked anywhere.

The challenge

A major outage brought everything to a halt

Without power or running systems, Terminal One had no way to move passengers.

JFK Terminal One is one of the busiest international terminals in the U.S., serving around 30 global airlines. In 2022, a three-day power outage exposed a critical gap: there was no viable backup for check-in or boarding. Staff resorted to handwriting boarding passes and manually assigning seats. Even smaller outages disrupted daily operations.

“Before Ink, we had no real backup. If a system went down, operations stopped.”

Steve Rowland, Executive Director, JFK Terminal One

The Opportunity

Keep flights on time—no matter what goes down

JFK T1 needed a backup that worked without counters, infrastructure, or delays.

• A reliable fallback when shared systems fail
• Check-in and boarding capability without infrastructure
• A solution that could be deployed fast and scale to support multiple airlines

The Solution

Check-in anywhere.
No desk required.

Ink DRS gave agents the tools to keep operations running—fully mobile.

• Infrastructure free

Operates without relying on airport counters, power, or Wi-Fi.

• Mobile-based check-in

Agents use smartphones to check in passengers anywhere in the terminal.

• Mobile printing

Print bag tags and boarding passes with compact Bluetooth printers.

• Multi-airline ready

Supports multiple carriers, each with its own seat maps and rules.

• Fast to activate, easy to use

No technical setup—agents can be trained and operational in minutes.

• Flexible for daily operations

Use beyond emergencies—for queue relief, remote check-in, and pop-up stations during peak traffic.

The Results

Faster processing.
Greater control.
Minimal disruption.

JFK Terminal One speeds up processing, eases congestion, and strengthens day-to-day resilience.

• 80% faster check-in

Testing with multiple airlines showed average check-in time dropped from five minutes to under one minute per passenger.

• 40 min

Staff trained and operational in a single session on the same day, with no IT overhead.

• Mobile infrastructure at scale

70 mobile kits deployed to enable check-in at counters, gates, or remote locations.

Better passenger experience

“Passengers didn’t even realise it was a fallback system—they just noticed how fast it was.”