Region’s Airports Record Busiest Year Ever

On Jan 29, 2025

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced that 2024 marked the busiest year ever at the agency’s commercial airports, surpassing the previous record set the prior year as travelers enjoyed increased capacity and premium amenities provided by the Port Authority’s growing number of modern, state-of-the-art travel hubs in New York and New Jersey.

In 2024, a total of 145.9 million air passengers flew through John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Newark Liberty International (EWR), and New York Stewart International (SWF) airports, according to initial estimates. The total surpassed the previous record of 143.8 million set in 2023. The year also saw record international travel demand, eclipsing the previous high set in pre-pandemic 2019.

After surpassing pre-pandemic records for domestic travel in 2023, the region’s airports did the same for international travel in 2024. The region’s 52.3 million international travelers in 2024 exceeded pre-pandemic 2019’s record of 50.9 million passengers. Domestic passengers in 2024 totaled 93.6 million, just below the 2023 record of 94.2 million.

The demand follows redevelopments at the Port Authority’s three major airports, elevating them to award-winning, state-of-the-art facilities. Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A, which opened in January 2023, was honored as the world’s best new airport terminal in April 2024 by preeminent aviation industry ratings firm Skytrax, just a month after receiving Skytrax’s highest 5-star rating. It also was awarded a UNESCO Prix Versailles special prize for the design of the terminal’s exterior.

LaGuardia Airport’s transformation included the 2020 opening of the world-class Terminal B, which was recognized as the best new airport terminal globally. It earned accolades such as the UNESCO Prix Versailles in 2021 and a Skytrax 5-star rating in 2023 — at the time the first ever awarded to an airport terminal in the United States. In October 2024, LaGuardia was named the best U.S. airport by Forbes Travel Guide.

John F. Kennedy International Airport was named the best airport in North America for the second consecutive year by Business Traveler’s annual reader survey. Extensive, once-in-a-generation redevelopment work continues at JFK and Newark Liberty, including new and upgraded terminals, ground transportation enhancements, and road network overhauls.

“Reaching nearly 146 million passengers in 2024 is a remarkable milestone and reflects the success of our unprecedented $30 billion in airport redevelopments,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “This record number of travelers signifies a full post-pandemic recovery and highlights the success we’ve seen modernizing the region’s airports into world-class gateways. As we transform Newark Liberty and JFK, the influx of passengers — especially the record-breaking demand for international travel — demonstrates that the future of air travel in New York and New Jersey is stronger than ever.”

“A second consecutive record-breaking year, along with record-breaking international travel, is extraordinary,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “These numbers are a powerful affirmation of our ambitious vision and the remarkable transformation taking place at our airports to bring sleek new best-in-class terminals, upgraded passenger amenities and cutting-edge infrastructure to this region. We are laser-focused on our commitment to creating a modern world-class experience for all who travel through our region.”

The surge in passenger volume was spread across the Port Authority’s airports, with both JFK and LaGuardia recording their busiest years ever in 2024:

AIRPORT	2024 TOTAL	CHANGE FROM 2023 TOTAL
John F. Kennedy International	63.3 million	+2%
LaGuardia	33.5 million	+4%
Newark Liberty International	48.9 million	0%
New York Stewart	277,000	+9%

The record-breaking year was capped with a record-breaking December and holiday travel period. December 2024 marked the busiest December ever for Port Authority airports. Throughout December, 12.5 million passengers flew through the agency’s airports, which was a 5 percent increase over the previous December record set in 2023. Additionally, the holiday peak travel period of Dec. 21, 2024, to Jan. 2, 2025, brought 5.5 million passengers through Port Authority airports, marking the busiest Christmas/New Year travel period on record. It was a 7 percent jump from the previous high set in 2023.

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