Big Changes Coming to Airports in the Big Apple

As a primary hub of international tourism in the United States, air travel and transit are incredibly important for New York City. The Big Apple not only boasts three massive international airports within the region, but also maintains countless regional airports and countless helipads. 

With heavy traffic post-COVID-19 pandemic, recent upgrades have been announced at many of the major airports around the big apple. Here are some of the most notable recent changes in New York City based airports:

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

JFK is the largest of the New York Metropolitan airports, servicing the city from Queens since 1948. With an expected 75 million annual passengers arriving through the airport by 2030, JFK has quickly grown many of their offerings in preparation. 

The Port Authority, the governing body of New York and New Jersey transit and exchange, announced A New JFK, a sponsored program in order to redevelop certain areas of the airport and its grounds. 

A total cost of USD 19 billion is projected on the redevelopment costs, with USD 3.9 billion in PA capital plans, and an additional USD 15 billion in private funding. This project is projected to add around 9,000 jobs to the NYC area. The main objective is to unify JFK Airport's terminals, which have infamously been hard to navigate between. Other proposed projects include modernizing security, and expanding taxiways among other smaller projects.

LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

LaGuardia Airport, located just north of JFK in the borough of Queens, is the busiest domestic airport in the New York area. A New LGA, an airport development campaign centered around the airport that was launched in 2015, has already grossed some of the expected benefits. An initial USD 8 billion investment was set to redo the Terminal B concourses, to be followed by new departure halls in both Terminal B and Terminal C. 

The funding for the project, much of which is provided through private financing, intends to change the common opinion that LGA has a poor passenger experience. As a result of the new amenities, the airport won the 2023 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award from the Airports Council International (ACI).

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

Although Newark might be the only airport in the New York City metropolitan area that is not in New York City, EWR is by far the largest airport in terms of air traffic in New Jersey. EWR recently completed the new Terminal A, which includes 1 million square feet of usage space along with 33 gates. This Terminal expects 13.6 million passengers a year. 

Additionally, the airport is adamant about updating their AirTrain system. The AirTrain is an interconnective monorail line that connects the airport and its facilities to the Northeast Corridor Rail Link Station. 

This redevelopment is not only essential for modernity reasons,  but it can also lead to greater passenger access to Newark Airport (EWR), as the airport can be accessed more efficiently via public transportation. Although no exact figures have been released on the cost of updating all of EWR Airport's terminals, the Port Authority states that it comprises of a mix of public and private funding.