NEWARK, NJ. April 18, 2024 (Biz Republic) — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A has been named the world’s best new airport terminal by the preeminent global airport evaluation firm Skytrax. The prestigious international industry honor comes less than a month after Skytrax gave Terminal A its highest rating, five stars, following a detailed audit of the terminal’s facilities, operations and customer service in 2023.
The Skytrax honor is considered a global benchmark of airport facility excellence, following the results of comprehensive surveys taken between August 2023 and March 2024 from passengers worldwide that evaluated traveler experiences regarding airport facilities, staff service and customer experience ranging from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration through departure at the gate. Newark Liberty is the second Port Authority airport in just two years to receive Skytrax’s highest honor for airport terminals: LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B was named the world’s best airport terminal in 2023 and was also rated five stars by Skytrax.
Newark Liberty’s latest Skytrax honor was announced at the 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards held earlier at the Passenger Terminal Expo & Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, attended by the Port Authority’s Director of Aviation Redevelopment Jacquelene McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer James Heitmann, Aviation Operational Standards and Compliance General Manager Frank Radics, and Chairman Kevin O’Toole. The annual award ceremony is known within the international aviation industry as the industry’s equivalent of filmmaking’s Academy Awards.
“This is a tremendously well-deserved honor for the flagship of the Port Authority’s ongoing renaissance at Newark Liberty International Airport,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It’s no surprise that the industry’s leader has bestowed one of its highest honors on this facility. From the distinctly Jersey aesthetic to the first-rate amenities and home-grown attractions, Terminal A is a point of pride for the Garden State that the whole world now gets to enjoy.”
“We believe strongly that our region deserves nothing but the best, and Newark Liberty has delivered the best new facility in the world for the state of New Jersey,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “As a native New Jerseyan, I am incredibly proud that passengers selected Terminal A for this global recognition, and I was honored to join the distinguished Port Authority team who accepted Newark Liberty’s award for the world’s best new airport terminal from Skytrax in person today.”
“From Newark to LaGuardia, and from worst to best, our $30 billion redevelopment of the New York-New Jersey area’s major airports has truly transformed air travel for the millions of people who use our airports,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “Our work at the airports reflects best-in-class standards, and we are extremely gratified for the international aviation industry’s recognition that this region is home to two of the world’s best new airport terminals.”
The $2.7 billion Terminal A represented both the Port Authority’s largest ever single investment in New Jersey and the state’s largest design-build project. The airport opened in phases throughout 2023 as airport operations migrated from the 50-year-old former Terminal A. Within its first year of service, the terminal served 15 million passengers, greatly outperforming yearly passenger totals from the previous Terminal A.
The new 1 million-square-foot Terminal A features state-of-the-art passenger amenities, local artwork, a children’s play space, digital technology and dozens of local and national dining and retail options. Other unique passenger amenities include a sensory room that offers neurodivergent travelers and their families a calm space away from the bustle of the airport, and a children’s lending library curated by a local fifth grader.
“Whereas the Skytrax five stars are the result of a comprehensive audit by experts, the World Airport Awards are based on actual passenger opinions,” said Dr. Lutz Weisser, managing director of Munich Airport International, the parent company of Terminal A’s operator Munich Airport NJ LLC. “Seeing that Terminal A is not only convincing auditors but is also loved by passengers shows us that we have managed to create an extraordinary travel experience at Terminal A. I am tremendously proud of the whole team who excels passenger expectations every day. The dedicated work of everybody at Terminal A and all our partners and concessionaires made this prestigious award possible.”
“It’s an amazing accomplishment to be named the Best New Terminal in the World,” said Michael Kunz, CEO of Munich Airport NJ LLC. “We are so incredibly proud of this milestone for Terminal A and for Munich Airport NJ. It is the pinnacle of achievement in both customer experience and the result of years of planning and tireless dedication to the program. This recognition comes with a solemn responsibility associated with maintaining a world-class standard of customer service and terminal operations.”
“This award covers new airport terminals that have opened in the previous 18 months of the 2024 World Airport Awards, and covers the full range of airport facilities, staff services and customer experience evaluation,” said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax. “It is pleasing to see such a high standard being delivered here at Terminal A, which is very worthy of their award as the world’s best new airport terminal.”
In addition to the facility’s best new terminal award and five-star rating, the terminal has collected myriad other awards and recognitions. Terminal A was awarded a 2023 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Prix Versailles Special Prize for the terminal’s exterior, a design that reflects the building’s distinctive architecture emphasizing spaciousness, functionality and abundant natural light. The terminal also received LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the most widely used green-building rating system in the world and an international symbol of environmental responsibility. In 2023, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in New Jersey named Terminal A as its 2023 Project of the Year.
ABOUT THE NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REDEVELOPMENT
The Port Authority is redeveloping the entire Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), beginning with Terminal A – the centerpiece of an airport-wide renaissance designed to establish the airport as a world-class gateway for the New Jersey and New York region. Planning work to replace the airport’s existing mass transit system, AirTrain Newark, with a modern, reliable 2.5-mile automated people mover train system is underway. In December 2023, the first contract in a multi-phase procurement process was awarded to Doppelmayr, a leader in cable-propelled transport systems.
Additionally, the Port Authority is adding local access to the airport and New York City by increasing public transit access through the EWR Station Access Project. The new accessible facility will provide easy access for underserved communities in Newark and Elizabeth to New York Penn Station via Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT’s direct Northeast Corridor service, decreasing the current journey time from 40 minutes to under 10 minutes. Most recently, the agency’s Board of Commissioners approved $160 million for the design and construction of the project.
The next phase of the Port Authority’s transformation of Newark Liberty International Airport will be developed through the work of a world-class airport master planner selected by the agency. The EWR Vision Plan — which will serve as a framework for future development through 2065 – will incorporate plans for long-term economic growth, sustainability projects, and multimodal access to the airport for both work and travel. More information on Newark Liberty’s redevelopment and the new AirTrain Newark is available at EWRredevelopment.com.
