Port Authority airports set year-end holiday travel record

The basics:

• Port Authority reports busiest year-end holiday travel period on record
• Nearly 5.8 million passengers travel through Newark, JFK, LaGuardia
• Newark, LaGuardia post growth; JFK dips slightly year over year
• Leaders credit major airport redevelopment projects for strong demand

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey just reported its busiest year-end holiday travel season on record. A total 5.8 million passengers traveled through Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports between Dec. 22, 2025, and Jan. 4, 2026.

The total eclipses the prior record, set in 2024, by nearly 70,000 passengers.

By the numbers:

• Newark Liberty served 2.06 million travelers up 3%
• LaGuardia handled 1.2 million passengers up 4.3%
• JFK totaled 2.48 million passengers down 1.6%

“These record-breaking holiday travel numbers are a powerful vote of confidence in the transformation of our region’s airports,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Millions of travelers chose our airports during the busiest travel periods of the year, and they were served by facilities that reflect the scale, ambition, and importance of the New York-New Jersey region.”

“Moving nearly 6 million passengers through the holidays is the real-world test of our transformative work, and the numbers speak for themselves,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “Our airports handled record demand because they’re better designed, better connected, and better run than ever before.”

Cotton announced plans in November to retire this month.

The strong year-end performance capped a record-setting year for Port Authority airports. The depots also experienced their busiest-ever travel periods during Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Presidents Day in 2025. Independence Day travel was the second-busiest on record, falling just short of a 2024 high.

Despite turbulence

The agency noted that it achieved those milestones despite challenges, such as Federal Aviation Administration staffing shortages and a federal government shutdown in fall 2025.

Port Authority leaders attributed the surge in demand to sweeping airport redevelopments that have transformed once-criticized facilities into modern, award-winning gateways. O’Toole and Cotton said the record volumes demonstrate that the airports utilize better design, as well as offering more efficiency with the capability to handle peak travel periods, while delivering improved passenger experiences.

All three airports have major redevelopment projects underway or nearing completion.

Newark Liberty continues to build on the success of its $2.7 billion Terminal A, which was recognized as best new airport terminal in 2024. Upcoming plans include construction of a new AirTrain, a redeveloped Terminal B, expanded transit access, and infrastructure upgrades aimed at reducing delays.

LaGuardia’s $8 billion rebuild fully replaced outdated terminals (B and C) with modern, award-winning facilities. Further improvements to ground transportation and a renovation of Terminal A will follow.

At JFK, a multiyear, nearly $19 billion overhaul will reshape the airport. The plan will add new terminals, expanded gates, upgraded amenities, roadway improvements and a modernized AirTrain system. Most of the investment comes from private financing.

More to come

The Port Authority said it will continue investing through its 2026–2035 capital plan. The efforts aim to meet rising demand and further position the region’s airports as world-class transportation hubs.

“What were once symbols of frustration have been rebuilt into gateways we can all be proud of: modern, welcoming, and worthy of this great region,” said O’Toole.

Cotton added, “As we deliver more world-class terminals, unmatched passenger amenities, and seamless transportation upgrades, passengers will benefit from airports that don’t just look world-class, they perform like it when it matters most.”