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Newark Liberty International Airport

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FAA diagram of Newark Airport

Newark Liberty International Airport (IATA Airport Code EWR; ICAO Airport Code KEWR) is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. It is west of four New York City boroughs, and is northwest of Staten Island.

Along with JFK and LaGuardia, it is one of the main airports serving the New York City area. Continental Airlines is Newark's largest tenant, operating an entire terminal at Newark. United Airlines and FedEx operate cargo hubs.

History

Newark Airport was the first major airport in the New York area: it opened on October 1, 1928, occupying an area of reclaimed marshland. Newark was the busiest airport in the world until LaGuardia Airport opened in 1939, dividing New York's air traffic and allowing Midway International Airport to take the lead. Newark was soon closed to passenger traffic and taken over by the United States Army for logistics operations during World War II.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey took over the airport in 1948 and made major investments in airport infrastructure, opening new runways and hangars and revamping the airport's terminal layout. Airline traffic resumed that year, although the airport was fairly underutilized for many years.

Newark expanded dramatically in the 1980s. People Express began operations at Newark in 1981 and quickly rose to become one of the world's largest airlines, bringing more traffic to the airport. Virgin Atlantic Airways began flights from Newark to London in 1984, challenging JFK's status as New York's international gateway. Although People Express was bought out by Continental in 1987, the Newark hub was kept in operation.

On September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93, which was on its way between Newark and San Francisco's San Francisco International Airport, crashed in Pennsylvania, due to a passenger uprising against terrorist 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, DC, such as the Capitol or White House. In memory of this event, Newark Airport was renamed Newark Liberty International Airport.

In 2003, Newark became the terminus of the world's longest scheduled airline route, Continental's service to Hong Kong. In 2004, Singapore Airlines broke Continental's record by starting direct 18-hour flights to Singapore from Newark.

Terminals

Newark Liberty International Airport has three passenger terminals. Terminal A and Terminal B were completed in 1973 and have a three-story layout, with departures on the top floor, arrivals on the middle floor, and flight operations on the ground floor. Terminal C, completed in 1988, has two departures levels with a food and shopping mezzanine between the departures and arrivals halls.

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 has 27 gates, numbered 10 through 39. It is the only terminal at Newark not fitted with immigration facilities: flights arriving from overseas cannot use Terminal A, although many departing international flights use the terminal. However, flights arriving from Canada can use this terminal.

Terminal B

Terminal B has 23 gates, numbered 40 through 68.

Terminal C

Terminal C houses most Continental flights, with the exception of flights to/from Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Chicago Midway and Dallas/Fort Worth. It has 60 gates, numbered 70 through 130.

Continental Airlines and Continental Express fly into this terminal.

Ground Transportation

Airtrain

Newark is one of the first multimodal airports in the United States. A monorail system, AirTrain Newark, provides free connections to the terminal from Amtrak and NJ Transit trains at the Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station. Passengers can use this connection to travel directly from EWR to any station along the Northeast Corridor, including regional transit hubs such as Penn Station.

Continental Airlines uses this rail connection to book passengers through Newark to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wilmington Rail Station in Wilmington, Delaware, Penn Station in New York, New York, Stamford Rail Station in Stamford, Connecticut, and New Haven Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut.

Other Connections

Numerous bus services run between Newark Liberty and nearby population centers, including New Jersey Transit, Airporter, and Olympia Trails. Express buses to Manhattan transit hubs (Grand Central Terminal, Port Authority Bus Terminal, etc.) cost $12. There is also bus service to JFK Airport, which costs $23.

Taxis also operate from the airport at flat rates based on destination. A taxi ride between lower or midtown Manhattan and Newark Liberty costs $40 to $55 depending on the destination (additional surcharges apply during rush hour).

Continental Airlines also books passengers via bus to Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a 90-minute trip.

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