According to data from two travel companies, the passenger flow and demand at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey have sharply declined. A series of telecommunications disruptions and flight delays have led cautious travelers to choose nearby airports instead.
Since April 28th, according to data from Kayak under Booking Holdings, the number of passengers choosing Newark as their arrival airport has decreased by 19%, while the number of passengers selecting the airport as their departure point has also decreased by about 15%.
The data indicates that reports on safety issues have also influenced travelers’ choices.
After several telecommunications disruptions, some passengers prefer to spend more commuting time to avoid Newark Airport – the second-largest airport in the New York metropolitan area.
On April 28th, navigation radar and telecommunication disruptions lasted for 30 to 90 seconds, causing dozens of flights to divert or be canceled, making passengers feel very uneasy. In addition, runway maintenance work is underway at Newark Airport, expected to be completed by June 15th, which is also one of the reasons for the poor performance of the airport.
Data from social media analysis company Sprout Social shows that 98% of daily social media discussions about the airport are negative.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states that Newark will be required to reduce flights to alleviate congestion.
Kayak CEO Steve Hafner told Reuters, “If they (passengers) can fly to LaGuardia Airport, that would be their first choice, followed by JFK Airport, and lastly Newark Airport, even if they live in Manhattan’s West Side near Newark, because they are not willing to accept the risk of flight delays of 3-4 hours.”
According to data from travel data provider Data Appeal, from April 28th to May 20th, the passenger arrivals at Newark Airport decreased by about 13% compared to the same period last year. During the same period, arrivals at LaGuardia Airport increased by 5.7%, while JFK Airport’s passenger flow also decreased by 7% due to reduced international travel demand.
According to data from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, prior to the recent series of telecommunication disruptions, the total passenger volume at Newark Airport in March also decreased by 2.7% year-on-year.
(Translated and revised from a report by Reuters)