The station was planned as part of the construction of IND and BMT's Archer Avenue Line as outlined in the Program for Action in 1968. The construction began around 1982 and it was opened to service on December 11, 1988. Originally named Sutphin Boulevard, it served as a replacement for the former Sutphin Boulevard elevated station on the demolished segment of the BMT Jamaica Line two blocks north. In 2003, when the AirTrain JFK opened at the adjacent Jamaica station, the JFK Airport suffix was added.