Port Authority of NY NJ reports facility volumes for December and full year 2025

• Agency’s Commercial Airports Record Third-Busiest Year Ever and Second-Busiest December Ever, Boosted by Busiest Year-End Holiday Travel Period in Port Authority History
• PATH Commuter Rail Surpasses 60 Million Passengers in 2025, Reaching 79 Percent of Pre-Pandemic Ridership in December
• Port of New York and New Jersey Finishes Year as Nation’s Second-Busiest Port for Loaded Containers
• Bridges and Tunnels Maintain Robust Activity on Par with 2024 and Pre-Pandemic 2019

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced that its commercial airports recorded their third-busiest year of all time in 2025 and second-busiest December ever. The total was boosted by record volume during the year-end holiday travel period. The PATH commuter rail welcomed over 60 million passengers in 2025, boosted by passenger volumes that reached 79 percent of pre-pandemic levels in December. The Port of New York and New Jersey was the nation’s second-busiest port for loaded containers over the year, while the agency’s vehicular crossings continued their strong activity consistent with 2024 and pre-pandemic 2019.

Airports:

2025 marked the third-busiest year ever for the Port Authority’s commercial airports. The total of 142.7 million passengers was behind only 2024 (146.1 million) and 2023 (143.8 million). The near-record volume was achieved despite the backdrop of uncertainty and air travel disruptions that resulted from Federal Aviation Administration staffing issues in 2025 and the federal government shutdown from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2025.

The agency’s commercial airports collectively recorded their busiest year-end travel period ever in 2025. The 5.8 million airport passengers served during the travel periodspanning Dec. 22, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026, was an increase of about 69,000 passengers from the previous record high set the prior year. Holiday travel records were also set in 2025 during the Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Presidents Day travel periods.

Both John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA) airports recorded their second-busiest years ever in 2025. JFK’s 2025 volume of 62.6 million passengers was a 1.0 percent decrease from its 2024 record of 63.3 million. LGA’s 2025 total of 32.8 million passengers declined 2.2 percent from its 2024 record of 33.5 million. 2025 was Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)’s third-busiest year. Its 2025 total of 47 million passengers was 4.2 percent behind 2023 (49.08 million) and 4.1 percent behind 2024 (48.99 million).

For December, the agency’s commercial airports welcomed 12.2 million passengers, collectively their second-busiest December ever. The total was 3.3 percent below the December 2024 record high total of 12.5 million. EWR welcomed 4.23 million passengers in December 2025. The EWR total was just 20,000 passengers below its record for the month set in 2024 of 4.25 million, showing a strong recovery from its FAA-related challenges earlier in the year. LGA also marked its second-busiest December ever with 2.8 million passengers, 4 percent below December 2024’s total of 2.9 million. JFK’s 5.1 million passenger total was 4.5 percent below its December 2024 total of 5.4 million.

Holiday travel outperformed the rest of the year because holiday travel, over a shorter period of time, is less susceptible to macroeconomic circumstances that can suppress travel demand throughout the year. In particular, year-end holiday travel increased year over year despite severe weather; even with a snowstorm on Dec. 26, Port Authority airports saw higher passenger activity compared to 2025, driven heavily by increased domestic travel.

PATH Commuter Rail:

The PATH commuter rail surpassed 60 million passengers in a year for the first time since 2019, welcoming 60.7 million passengers in 2025. The total was 6.1 percent above 2024. It was 74 percent of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

In December, PATH reached 79 percent of December 2019 levels, tying September 2025 for the highest monthly recovery relative to pre-pandemic figures. The system welcomed 5.1 million passengers in December, 6 percent above December 2024.

Average weekday ridership in December 2025 was 187,930 passengers. This was 3.3 percent higher than December 2024. Across 2025, the annual average weekday ridership of 198,401 passengers was a 6.6 percent jump from 2024.

Weekend ridership outpaced pre-pandemic figures across the year. Annual average Saturday ridership in 2025 was up 2.4 percent from 2019. Annual average Sunday ridership grew 3.3 percent from 2019.

Port of New York and New Jersey:

Across 2025, the Port of New York and New Jersey was the nation’s second-busiest port for loaded TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). It moved 5,955,798 loaded TEUs over the year, a 2.8 percent increase from 2024.

In December, the seaport moved 435,352 loaded TEUs. This was a 5.6 percent decrease from December 2024.

Tunnels, Bridges, and Terminals:

At the agency’s six vehicular crossings, 121.5 million eastbound vehicles were recorded in 2025. This was a decline of 0.5 percent from 2024 when accounting for that leap year’s extra day. It was 0.6 percent under the pre-pandemic 2019.

In December, approximately 10.2 million eastbound vehicles used Port Authority crossings. This was 2.5 percent below December 2024 and 1.6 percent below December 2019.