KEWR

Newark Liberty International Airport

KEWR is an international airport in Union City, New Jersey that lies between the cities of Newark and Elizabeth (who jointly own it), and is currently leased to and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Airport history

Originally on 68 acres, Newark Metropolitan Airport opened on October 1, 1928, and was the first major airport to serve passengers in the New York metropolitan area. It was the busiest commercial airport in the world until LaGuardia Airport opened in 1939. In 1948, Newark leased the airport to what is now known as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. As part of the deal, the Port Authority took operational control of the airport and began investing heavily in capital improvements, including new hangars, a new terminal, and Runway 4/22. During the1970s, the airport became Newark International Airport. Current Terminals A and B opened in 1973, although some charter and international flights requiring customs clearance stayed at the North Terminal, and Terminal C was finally completed and open for business in 1988. The airport went through a dramatic expansion during the eighties; People Express built their corporate office in the North Terminal in 1918 and began flights from there soon after, and Virgin Atlantic began service between Newark and London in 1984. In late 1996, a monorail opened, which connected the three terminals, the overflow parking lots and garages, and the rental car facilities. A new International Arrivals Facility also opened in Terminal B that year. The airport's name was changed from Newark International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport in 2002, following the events of 9-11. In 2003, a modern control tower opened on site. In June 2008, flight caps were put in place to limit the number of flights to 81 per hour. In 2016, the Port Authority approved and announced a redevelopment plan to replace Terminal A, set to fully open in 2022. Terminal One is expected to increase passenger flow and gate flexibility between airlines and will have 33 gates, increasing its total to 125.

Airport location

Located 9 miles west-southwest of Manhattan and just three miles south of Downtown Newark, near the Newark Airport Interchange, the junction between Interstate 95 and Interstate 78.

Airport facts

● In 1935, Amelia Earhart dedicated Newark Airport’s first terminal, the Art Deco Administration Building. 

● KEWR is the third-largest hub for United Airlines, after Chicago's O’Hare and Houston-Intercontinental airports. 

● Newark Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and John F. Kennedy Airport combine to create the largest airport system in the United States.

What to dress for

Newark forecast