Port Authority Reports Highest Cargo Activity in its History

On Jan 26, 2023

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has reported its facility volumes for the month of December 2022, as well as for the full year 2022.

Findings reveal that the Port of New York and New Jersey finished the year with the highest cargo activity in its history with 27 percent growth over pre-pandemic 2019. Meanwhile, passenger levels at the agency’s airports in December 2022 were 96 percent of pre-COVID December 2019 levels. Traffic levels at the bridges and tunnels in December 2022 were similar to pre-pandemic December 2019 volume. However, PATH’s total ridership in December 2022 only reached 57 percent of its December 2019 total ridership.

Seaport:

For the first time in its history, the Port of New York and New Jersey moved a record total of nearly 9.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) throughout the year. In 2022, the seaport handled a total of 9,493,664 TEUs, an increase of 27 percent from pre-pandemic 2019 annual totals. Throughout the year, the port managed a 26-month-long streak of monthly record cargo high activity and became the nation’s busiest container port during the peak months of the holiday shipping season.

In December 2022 as well as for the full year 2022, the New York-New Jersey seaport was the nation’s second-busiest container port. In December, the port handled 613,011 TEUs, which was an increase of 3.6 percent compared to December 2019. Monthly cargo volume fell 15.2 percent compared to November 2022, when the seaport handled 723,069 TEUs.

Airports:

In December, the Port Authority’s airports handled a total of 11.4 million passengers, which was 96 percent of pre-COVID December 2019 volumes. Airport passenger volumes increased by 2 percent from November 2022, when the airport served 11.1 million passengers.

Annual passenger volume in 2022 totaled 128.1 million, 91 percent of 2019 levels, which had been a record-high year for air travel. In pre-pandemic 2019, the airports had served an all-time record high of 140.5 million passengers.

John F. Kennedy International Airport’s annual total volume for 2022 was 55.3 million passengers, or 88 percent of its 2019 annual total. Compared to their 2019 annual totals respectively, Newark Liberty International Airport’s passenger total of 43.5 million and LaGuardia Airport’s passenger total of 29.1 million both represent 94 percent of their 2019 totals.

Tunnels, Bridges & Terminals (TB&T):

In December 2022, the Port Authority’s four bridges and two tunnels handled a total of 10.2 million eastbound vehicles, nearly equal to the pre-pandemic December 2019 level of 10.3 million vehicles.  December 2022 average daily vehicular was flat and truck traffic levels were down 3 percent compared to the month prior.

In 2022, Port Authority bridges and tunnels handled a total of 120.7 million eastbound vehicles, which was similar to the 2019 annual total. Automobile traffic was essentially flat and truck traffic increased 6.7 percent compared to 2019 annual totals.

PATH:

PATH served 3.7 million total riders in December 2022, representing 57 percent of pre-pandemic December 2019. Compared to November 2022, total ridership in December 2022 represented 95 percent of the November 2022 ridership.

For the full year 2022, PATH reported annual total ridership of 42.6 million riders, representing 52 percent of 2019 ridership levels. Also, PATH reported annual average weekday ridership of 137,016 riders in 2022, or 48 percent of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

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