New York Port Authority (PANYNJ) recently announced that its four major commercial airports had the busiest year in history in 2024, with passenger traffic hitting record highs. The total passenger volume reached 145.9 million, surpassing the previous year of 2023.
According to a press release from the PANYNJ on January 29, 2024, the total passenger volume of the four major airports under the PANYNJ reached 145.9 million, surpassing the record of 143.8 million set in 2023. While the domestic passenger total was 93.6 million, slightly lower than 94.2 million in 2023, the international passenger number hit a new high of 52.3 million, breaking the pre-pandemic record of 50.9 million in 2019.
The passenger numbers at the three major airports in 2024 increased compared to 2023: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) with 63.3 million passengers, an increase of 2%; LaGuardia Airport (LGA) reported 33.5 million passengers, up by 4 percentage points; Stewart Airport (SWF) reached 277,000 passengers, an increase of 9%. Newark Airport (EWR) remained steady at 48.9 million passengers.
In addition, the passenger volume in December 2024 also reached a historic high, with a monthly passenger traffic of 12.5 million, a 5% increase from the same period in 2023, making it the busiest December in the history of the Port Authority. During the peak holiday period from December 21 to January 2, the four major airports collectively catered to 5.5 million passengers, a 7% increase from the previous year, setting a record for the busiest holiday travel period ever.
The PANYNJ emphasized that the growth in airport passenger traffic is closely related to its large-scale infrastructure upgrades. In recent years, the Port Authority has invested $30 billion in airport modernization, including the newly completed Terminal A at Newark Airport, which has received multiple awards for its design and service. LaGuardia and Kennedy airports have also received numerous industry awards for their extensive renovations.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole called the nearly 146 million passengers a “remarkable milestone,” marking that the airport business has completely recovered from the impact of the pandemic, reflecting the ambition to develop the airports into world-class aviation gateways and demonstrating the bright future of the aviation industry in New York and New Jersey.