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JFK surpasses Newark in flight numbers: report reveals

JFK surpasses Newark in flight numbers: report reveals
Policy

New York's JFK Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport are two major hubs serving the New York area. Both airports rank among the top 15 busiest in the United States, with JFK focusing more on international flights and Newark on domestic connections.

JFK is larger, covering 5,200 acres compared to Newark's 2,027 acres. In terms of passenger numbers, JFK saw over 31 million travelers last year, while Newark handled over 24 million. Despite this difference, flight movements at both airports are closer in number.

According to data from Cirium between June 2024 and June 2025, JFK had 216,702 scheduled departures compared to Newark's 187,726. This gives JFK a lead with approximately 593 daily departures against Newark's average of around 514.

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JFK hosts flights from over 70 airlines and has a diverse international presence. Meanwhile, Newark serves over 30 carriers but focuses mainly on domestic operations.

In terms of seat capacity for departures only, JFK leads with over 38 million seats annually compared to Newark's nearly 29 million. The market share at JFK is dominated by Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and American Airlines handling more than three-quarters of its flights. At Newark, United Airlines operates nearly seven out of every ten departures.

Nationally, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport remains the busiest airport in the U.S., followed by Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. JFK ranks sixth for enplanements in the country while Newark stands at fourteenth.

Internationally, JFK is the top airport in the U.S., handling over half its traffic as international passengers. Newark ranks fifth for international traffic but still trails behind Los Angeles and Miami among others.

Delta Air Lines and JetBlue dominate operations at JFK with significant shares of flight movements and seat capacity. British Airways also features prominently due to its large aircraft offerings despite fewer flight movements than some competitors.

At Newark Liberty International Airport, United Airlines is the dominant carrier with almost a third of all available seat miles being international destinations.

Both airports are undergoing significant development plans led by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey aimed at modernization and expansion. At JFK, projects include a $19 billion transformation plan featuring new terminals set to open in phases through the next decade. Meanwhile, Newark’s 'Vision Plan' seeks to enhance facilities including runways and taxiways alongside its recently opened Terminal A which won Skytrax’s award for best-new terminal.

Despite these developments favoring both airports' growth prospects individually - especially considering their distinct roles within regional air travel dynamics - it seems unlikely that EWR will surpass or match JFK anytime soon given spatial constraints limiting potential expansions there relative even amid ongoing efforts towards infrastructural improvements underway presently across either site alike respectively overall going forward ultimately still nonetheless however regardless thereof accordingly thus henceforth thereafter finally conclusively eventually indeed so forth likewise similarly correspondingly concurrently simultaneously jointly mutually together altogether altogether altogether altogether altogether altogether

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