Everything about Newark Liberty International Airport totally explained
Newark Liberty International Airport, first named
Newark Airport and later
Newark International Airport, is an international
airport within the city limits of both
Newark and
Elizabeth,
New Jersey,
United States. It is about southwest of
Midtown Manhattan (
New York City).
The airport is operated by the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also manages the two other major airports in the
New York/New Jersey metropolitan area,
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and
LaGuardia Airport (LGA), in addition to three smaller airports,
Stewart International Airport,
Teterboro Airport and the
Downtown Manhattan Heliport. Newark is the tenth busiest airport in the United States and the nation's fifth busiest international air gateway; JFK ranks first.
Newark Liberty is the second-largest hub for
Continental Airlines, which is the airport's largest tenant (operating all of Terminal C and part of Terminal A). Primarily due to this large hub operation,
Continental Airlines is by far the leading carrier in the New York market.
FedEx Express operates one of its major cargo hubs at Newark.
In 2007, Newark Airport handled slightly more than 36.3 million passengers, compared to JFK's 47.8 million A new international airport to serve the New York City area would have been built in what is now the
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, however local protests defeated the plan.
In the 1970s, the airport underwent a significant enlargement, including the construction of the current Terminals A, B, and C, and was renamed
Newark International Airport. Terminals A and B opened in 1973, although some charter and international flights requiring customs clearance remained at the North Terminal. The main building of Terminal C was completed at the same time, but only metal framing work was done on the terminal's satellites, and it lay dormant until the mid-1980s, when for a brief time the west third of the terminal was equipped for international arrivals and used for certain
People Express transcontinental flights. Terminal C was fully completed and opened to the public in June 1988.
Underutilized throughout the 1970s, Newark expanded dramatically in the 1980s.
People Express struck a deal with the Port Authority to use the North Terminal as both its air terminal and corporate office in 1981 and began operations at Newark that year. It quickly rose to become one of the largest American airlines, steadily increasing Newark's traffic in the through most of the 1980s.
Virgin Atlantic Airways began flights from Newark to
London in 1984, challenging JFK's status as New York's international gateway (however, Virgin Atlantic now has more flights going out of JFK than out of Newark). When People Express was merged into Continental in 1987, operations at the North Terminal were greatly reduced, and the building was demolished to make way for cargo facilities in the early 1990s. Newark has remained a hub for Continental.
Today, Continental has its Global Gateway at Terminal C, having completed a major expansion project that included the construction of a new, third concourse and a new
Federal Inspection Services facility. With its Newark hub, Continental is the largest provider of air service to the
New York metropolitan area.
United Airlines Flight 93 pushed back from gate A17 at 8:01 am, on its way from Newark to
San Francisco International Airport, on
September 11,
2001. Two hours later it would crash into a field in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania, when passengers attempted to take over the plane from a team of hijackers. Based on the direction that the plane was flying at the time and information gathered afterwards, most observers believe that the hijackers intended to crash the plane into a target in
Washington, D.C., such as the
Capitol or
White House. In memory of this event, the airport's name was changed from
Newark International Airport to
Newark Liberty International Airport. This name was chosen over the initial proposal,
Liberty International Airport at Newark, and refers to the landmark
Statue of Liberty, just east of the airport. Despite the name change few locals call it by its new name. The name most often used by locals is "Newark Airport" or simply "Newark".
In 2001, Newark Liberty International Airport became the terminus of the world's longest non-stop scheduled airline route, Continental's service to
Hong Kong. In 2004,
Singapore Airlines broke Continental's record by starting non-stop 18-hour flights to
Singapore from Newark. In 2005, Continental commenced flight from Newark to
Beijing on
June 15,
2005 and
New Delhi on
November 1,
2005: when these services began, Continental became for a time the only airline to serve
India nonstop from the United States, and the third U.S. carrier, after
United and
Northwest to serve
mainland China nonstop and the first to offer nonstop flights to Beijing from New York operated by a U.S. carrier. On
July 16,
2007, Continental Airlines announced that it would seek government approval for nonstop flights between Newark and
Shanghai in 2009. On
September 11,
2007, both
China Southern Airlines and
Hainan Airlines announced plans to begin nonstop flights between Newark and
Beijing in 2008 and 2009, respectively, using new
Boeing 787-8 aircraft. In September 2007, the United States Department of Transportation tentatively awarded Continental the right to fly to Shanghai from Newark beginning
March 25,
2009 using
Boeing 787 aircraft.
Starting on
June 1,
2008, Newark Airport will be restricted to having 81 flights per hour in order to combat flight delays. The flight caps, which are only in effect until 2009, are intended to be a short-term solution to the congestion problem.
Facilities
Newark Liberty International Airport covers and has three
runways and one
helipad:
- Runway 4L/22R: 11,000 x 150 ft. (3,353 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete
- Runway 4R/22L: 10,000 x 150 ft. (3,048 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
- Runway 11/29: 6,800 x 150 ft. (2,073 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
- Helipad H1: 40 x 40 ft. (12 x 12 m), Surface: Concrete
Runway 11/29 is part of the original paved runway system developed in the 1940s. In 1952, original Runways 1/19 and 6/24 were closed in response to concerns about obstructions and noise, and a modern Runway 4/22 (now 4R/22L) was commissioned at a length of 7,000 ft. This runway was later extended to 9,800 feet, shortened for a while to 9,300 ft. and finally brought to its present length by 2000. Runway 4L/22R was built in the early 1970s at a length of 8,200 ft. and was extended to its current dimensions by 2000.
All approaches except Runway 29 are equipped with
Instrument Landing Systems, and Runway 4R is certified for Category II ILS approaches.
Most departing traffic use Runway 4L/22R, while most arriving traffic use 04R/22L, and 11/29 is used more often by smaller aircraft or when there are strong crosswinds on the two main runways. Newark's two parallel runways (4L and 4R) have a lateral separation of only, which is the fourth smallest of major airports in the U.S., after
SFO,
LAX and
SEA.
Terminals and destinations
Newark Liberty International Airport has three passenger
terminals. Terminal A and Terminal B were completed in 1973 and have four levels. Ticket counters are on the top floor, except for the second-floor
Air India,
British Airways, and
Silverjet. Gates and shops are on the third floor. An international arrivals lounge (Terminal B) and baggage carousels (both A and B) are on the second floor. Finally, short-term parking and ramp operations (restricted areas) are on the ground floor. Terminal C, completed in 1988, has two ticketing levels, one for international check-in and one for domestic check-in. The gates, as well as food and shopping outlets are located on a mezzanine level between the two check-in floors. From 1998-2003, Terminal C was renovated. The baggage claim area was renovated, and turned into a second departure level, splitting departures into International Floor/Domestic Floor, a third concourse was added, an international arrivals facility was added, and a 3,400-space parking garage, and new baggage processing facilities were added, including turning the former underground parking area into a new baggage claim. Parking had been prohibited underneath the terminal as a security measure after the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993.
As of 2008, Terminal B is being renovated to increase capacity for departing passengers and passenger comfort. The renovations include expanding and updating the ticketing areas, building a new departure level for domestic flights, and building a new arrivals hall. Plans are also in place to expand Terminal A by adding a new parking garage, and radically expanding the size of the first concourse to add gates, ticketing, baggage, and security areas.
Each terminal is subdivided into three numbered concourses: Terminal A, for instance, is divided into concourses A1, A2, and A3. Gate numbering is continuous through all the terminals.
Terminal A
Terminal A is the only terminal at Newark not fitted with immigration facilities: flights arriving from other countries (except countries with
US customs preclearance) can't use Terminal A, although some departing international flights use the terminal.
Air Canada (Calgary [beginsJune 16], Toronto-Pearson)
AirTran Airways (Atlanta)
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma)
American Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Eagle/Vail [seasonal], Los Angeles, Miami, San Juan (PR))
JetBlue Airways (Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach)
Midwest Airlines (Milwaukee)
United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco)
US Airways (Charlotte, Las Vegas, Phoenix)
WestJet (Calgary) [beginsJune 2; seasonal]
Terminal B
Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
Air India (Mumbai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
Alitalia (Rome-Fiumicino)
British Airways (London-Heathrow)
China Southern Airlines (Beijing) [beginsJuly 2008]
