Port Authority: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports had busiest year in 2023

The Port Authority said that 2023 marked the busiest year ever at the agency’s three major airports, surpassing pre-pandemic highs due to what they called "new world class travel facilities."

A total of 144 million air passengers flew through John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark Liberty International (EWR) airports, according to initial estimates, which was 3% above the previous record of 140 million passengers set in 2019, a statement said.

The demand comes after years of redevelopment work at the airports, "transforming outdated air terminals into 21st century, award-winning facilities," according to the agency,

Newark Liberty recorded the most significant jump, with a 6% increase, or 49.1 million passengers, in 2023, surpassing its previous high set in 2019 of 46.3 million as travelers took advantage of increased capacity offered by the new and larger Terminal A.

With 1 million-square-feet and 33 gates, the renovated terminal alone served 15 million passengers in its first year — more than any of the 50 years it was in operation. 

LaGuardia’s new high of 32.4 million passengers was a 4% jump from its previous record in 2019 of 31.1 million. In 2020, the airport opened its new Terminal B, handling more than double the capacity of its predecessor. Likewise, LaGuardia's new Terminal C, which opened in 2022, is 85% larger than the two terminals it replaced.

Kennedy Airport's 2023 volume of 62.5 million was on par with its robust 2019 performance of 62.6 million, with a further resurgence evident by year's end: December marked the first month in which Kennedy’s international passenger volume surpassed totals from the same month in 2019. Its 2.8 million international passenger total was a 3% increase over December 2019’s figure.

In addition, Newark, LaGuardia and Kennedy all set new domestic travel records in 2023, serving 35.3 million, 30.6 million and 29.1 million domestic passengers, respectively.

The end of the year marked the busiest December ever for the airports, with at least 12 million passengers recorded traveling, an increase of more than 70,000 in 2019.

The holiday season specifically, between Dec. 21 and Jan. 2, welcomed 5.2 million passengers, setting the busiest Christmas/New Year travel period on record.

Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA Northeast, said the increase in air travel “comes after international COVID restrictions were lifted and the pent-up desire to travel was strongly fulfilled.”

He notes that Memorial Day holiday international travel bookings were up more than 250% last year compared to 2022; July 4 saw record air travel nationwide at 4.7 million; Thanksgiving saw an increase of 300,000 more flyers than one year earlier and year-end holidays had record highs of 7.5 million air travelers nationwide.

“Given all this, it’s no surprise Port Authority airports had a record year,” he said. 

With Robert Brodsky