The History Of Series Continues!
Newark Liberty International Airport (ICAO: KEWR)
Early Years
Newark airport opened on October 1, 1928. It was originally named Newark metropolitan airport. Similar to the last airport that we did in the series, Fort Lauderdale, this airport was also closed due to World War II. In 1948, the airport was leased to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. They also own New York JFK and New York LaGuardia. By 1957, most of the large US airlines have started to fly to Newark. Including United, Delta, and Eastern. United would soon become one of the largest airlines in the world, and by far the largest at that airport almost a half a century later.
1960s-1990s
In 1978, a TWA flight on a Boeing 707 became the first transatlantic flight from Newark, heading to London Heathrow. In that same year, terminals A and B also opened. The terminals are both in use today, however terminal A will be replaced by the new “Terminal One” coming soon in 2021-22. In 1984, Virgin Atlantic launched their first flight ever, from London Heathrow to Newark round-trip. Newark soon became one of the leading bridges between Europe and the United States. This was also a big time for mergers. Peoples Express airlines merged with Continental Airlines, and they situated in the north terminal (now known as terminal C). In 1996, the Newark monorail was open, connecting terminals A, B, and C. In 2001, it was renamed to the AirTrain, which it still holds that name today.
Newark Airport And 9/11
As most of you know, United Airlines flight 93 departed from Newark. Specifically, gate A17. Currently, JetBlue Airways owns the gate, but it was owned by United at the time of the hijacking. At this point, Newark liberty airport was still officially named Newark airport. After the attacks, they had many choices, including Liberty International Airport At Newark, and Newark Liberty International Airport. They decided on the name liberty, because it represented our country, as well as the Statue of Liberty, which is not too far from the airport. Gate A17 also has an American flag so we will never forget one of the saddest days in American history.
Expanding To The World
In 2005, the airport started to really grow. Continental Airlines started service to Beijing, Delhi, and Mumbai. Newark also is the departure point for the worlds longest flight. Singapore airlines flight 21 and 22 flies daily between Newark and Singapore. Clocking in from 17 to 19 hours depending on the wind, this is the worlds longest flight, only to be beat by project sunrise, which is coming soon. Project sunrise is to launch flights on Qantas from Sydney to London and New York.
The Terminals
Terminal A
Terminal A serves many airlines, the biggest being JetBlue. Along with JetBlue, there is Air Canada, Alaska, American, Porter, and some United Express. Is is one of the older terminals, and is to be replaced very soon. Right now, the terminal is 3 big circles (as shown below), but the new “Terminal One” is to be a large open terminal (also seen below). JetBlue recently expanded from here as a result of Southwest Airlines leaving.
Old Terminal: Circles on the left (there are 3 of them)
New Terminal: On The Right
Old Terminal Above
New Terminal Above
Terminal B
Terminal B is also an older terminal at Newark, just as old as terminal A, but there arre no plans of refurbishment. It is, however more upgraded than terminal one, with a little more space, and larger circles (like terminal A). It is home to airline such as Delta, Sun Country, Frontier, Allegiant, and Spirit. It is also home to all international carriers other than United, Air Canada, and Porter.
El Al check in area at Terminal B
The three circles are terminal B
Terminal C
Terminal C is the biggest and is home to United. In fact, it is so modern, that there are over 6000 iPads in that terminal alone. Using iPads, you could order food at restaurants, so when you sit down, you just press a few buttons on your iPad, and your food shows up. There is also 3 United clubs, and tons of shops. It is also home to one of the best lounges, the United Polaris lounge.
Busiest Routes From Newark
| Rank | Destination | Airlines |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris Charles De Gaulle | Air France, United |
| 2 | London Heathrow | British Airways, United, Virgin Atlantic |
| 3 | Orlando | Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit, United |
| 4 | San Francisco | Alaska, JetBlue, United |
| 5 | Los Angeles | Alaska, JetBlue, United |
| 6 | Atlanta | Delta, Frontier, Spirit, United |
| 7 | Tel Aviv | El Al, United |
| 8 | Chicago O’Hare | American, United |
| 9 | Fort Lauderdale | JetBlue, Spirit, United |
| 10 | Charlotte | American, Spirit, United |
Thank you for reading today’s history of Newark airport! Please vote for what airport you would like me to do next!
What Airport Should I Do Next?
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Link to my last post in “The History Of” Series: The History Of Fort Lauderdale Airport!