Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s commercial airports record busiest year ever for second consecutive year

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced that 2024 marked the busiest year ever at the agency’s commercial airports, surpassing the previous record set the prior year as travelers enjoyed increased capacity and premium amenities provided by the Port Authority’s growing number of modern, state-of-the-art travel hubs in New York and New Jersey.

In 2024, a total of 145.9 million air passengers flew through John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Newark Liberty International (EWR), and New York Stewart International (SWF) airports, according to initial estimates. The total surpassed the previous record of 143.8 million set in 2023. The year also saw record international travel demand, eclipsing the previous high set in pre-pandemic 2019.

After surpassing pre-pandemic records for domestic travel in 2023, the region’s airports did the same for international travel in 2024. The region’s 52.3 million international travelers in 2024 exceeded pre-pandemic 2019’s record of 50.9 million passengers. Domestic passengers in 2024 totaled 93.6 million, just below the 2023 record of 94.2 million.

The extraordinary demand follows transformative redevelopments at the Port Authority’s three major airports, elevating them to award-winning, state-of-the-art facilities. Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A, which opened in January 2023, was honored as the world's best new airport terminal in April 2024 by preeminent aviation industry ratings firm Skytrax, just a month after receiving Skytrax’s highest 5-star rating. It also was awarded a UNESCO Prix Versailles special prize for the design of the terminal’s exterior.
LaGuardia Airport’s transformation included the 2020 opening of the world-class Terminal B, which was recognized as the best new airport terminal globally. It earned accolades such as the UNESCO Prix Versailles in 2021 and a Skytrax 5-star rating in 2023 — at the time the first ever awarded to an airport terminal in the United States. In October 2024, LaGuardia was named the best U.S. airport by Forbes Travel Guide.
John F. Kennedy International Airport was named the best airport in North America for the second consecutive year by Business Traveller’s annual reader survey. Extensive, once-in-a-generation redevelopment work continues at JFK and Newark Liberty, including new and upgraded terminals, ground transportation enhancements, and road network overhauls.

“Reaching nearly 146 million passengers in 2024 is a remarkable milestone and reflects the success of our unprecedented $30 billion in airport redevelopments,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “This record number of travelers signifies a full post-pandemic recovery and highlights the success we’ve seen modernizing the region's airports into world-class gateways. As we transform Newark Liberty and JFK, the influx of passengers — especially the record-breaking demand for international travel — demonstrates that the future of air travel in New York and New Jersey is stronger than ever.”

“A second consecutive record-breaking year, along with record-breaking international travel, is extraordinary,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “These numbers are a powerful affirmation of our ambitious vision and the remarkable transformation taking place at our airports to bring sleek new best-in-class terminals, upgraded passenger amenities and cutting-edge infrastructure to this region. We are laser-focused on our commitment to creating a modern world-class experience for all who travel through our region.”

The surge in passenger volume was spread across the Port Authority’s airports, with both JFK and LaGuardia recording their busiest years ever in 2024:

The record-breaking year was capped with a record-breaking December and holiday travel period. December 2024 marked the busiest December ever for Port Authority airports. Throughout December, 12.5 million passengers flew through the agency’s airports, which was a 5 percent increase over the previous December record set in 2023. Additionally, the holiday peak travel period of Dec. 21, 2024, to Jan. 2, 2025, brought 5.5 million passengers through Port Authority airports, marking the busiest Christmas/New Year travel period on record. It was a 7 percent jump from the previous high set in 2023.

The surge in demand for air travel has been met by the Port Authority’s unprecedented $30 billion airport redevelopment initiatives, helping to drive construction and tourism dollars across New York and New Jersey. LaGuardia Airport’s redevelopment set a New York state record for participation by minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBE) that accounted for $2.2 billion in contracts. The ongoing redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport so far has awarded more than $2.7 billion in contracts to MWBEs.

At JFK, the $9.5 billion development of a state-of-the-art New Terminal One that will anchor the airport's south side broke ground in September 2022. A new $4.2 billion Terminal 6, which will connect seamlessly with Terminal 5 to create an anchor terminal on the airport’s north side, broke ground in February 2023. The $1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta Air Lines and JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT), is substantially complete. Additionally, the $400 million expansion of Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, which operates the terminal, and British Airways, which relocated to Terminal 8, was completed in November 2022. In addition to privately financed new and expanded terminals, the Port Authority is investing $3.9 billion in capital funds at JFK for infrastructure, including a new simplified roadway network, a ground transportation center, airfield improvements, and utilities and electrical substations.

At LaGuardia, the comprehensive plan to construct a whole new airport has been substantially completed, with the full opening of Terminal B in 2020 and Delta Air Lines’ new Terminal C following suit in 2022. The new Atrium Conference and Business Center at LaGuardia opened in fall 2023.

At Newark Liberty, the agency has embarked on a complete redevelopment that began with the brand-new Terminal A — the centerpiece of an airport-wide renaissance designed to establish the airport as a world-class gateway for the New Jersey and New York region. In October 2024, the Port Authority unveiled the EWR Vision Plan, charting a comprehensive reimagining of the airport complete with modern terminals and infrastructure, a more intuitive roadway network, and a redesigned taxiway network to accommodate more aircraft and reduce delays. The Port Authority is also moving ahead on a full replacement of Newark’s AirTrain system, along with the EWR Station Access project to increase airport and public transit access for underserved Newark and Elizabeth communities.