Introduction
The first major new airport in the United States, the Newark Liberty International Airport lies on the municipal boundary between Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. Part of the USA's largest airport system, which is second in the world in terms of passenger traffic and first in the world in terms of total flight operations, the Newark airport is also the third-largest hub for United Airlines which is the airport's largest tenant. It is also home to FedEx Express which is the airport's second largest occupant, whose third largest cargo hub uses three buildings covering a total of 2 million square feet. The Newark Liberty has undergone immense growth and development since its opening 84 years ago, with support for the NextGen technology campaign being the latest headway.
History
When the Newark airport was built, it was a humble new airport built on 68 acres of reclaimed land; the first in metropolitan New York. It was the busiest airport in the world until the LaGuardia opened in 1939, dividing New York's air traffic and allowing Chicago Midway International Airport to take the lead in subsequent years. In 1948 the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey took over the airport and airlines returned after it was used by the US Army for logistics operations during WWII. Later, major investments in new hangars, a new terminal and runway were made. In the 1970s the airport underwent a significant enlargement, including the construction of the current Terminals A, B, and C, and was renamed Newark International Airport. Though due to construction works the airport lay dormant for the greater part of the 70s, but dramatically expanded in the 1980s with major airlines striking deals with the Port Authority. On September 11, 2001, a United Airlines Flight pushed back from gate A17 crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers tried to reclaim the plane from a team of hijackers. From information gathered, it was later deduced that the hijackers had intended to crash the aircraft into a target in Washington, D.C., such as the Capitol or the White House. The name of the airport was later changed to Newark Liberty International Airport to honor those who died in the crash.
Features
Covering an area of about 2,027 acres, the Newark airport houses three asphalt surface runways, one concrete surface helipad and three passenger terminals, with Runway 11/29 being part of the original paved runway system developed in the 1940s. All approaches except Runway 29 are equipped with the ILS - Instrument Landing Systems, and Runway 4R is certified for Category III ILS approaches. Newark's two parallel runways (4L and 4R) have a lateral separation of only 900 feet (270 m), which is the fourth smallest of major airports in the U.S. The airport has the IATA designation EWR.
Tips and comments
The Newark new airport has been termed as 'fantastic' by travelers, with them rating the treatment received as high as A+. The new airport is generally clean and good with each terminal offering many different choices for food and places to relax. The seating is comfortable, and there have been instances of staff offering blankets and pillows to those who needed them. The immigration hall is 'light, spacious and well-manned'. It has a good number of shops and eateries. Car rental options are priced a bit on the upside and the signage and queuing have received negative reviews though, as lines at security are generally very long according to frequent travelers. Overall, the Newark new airport has been said to get the job done efficiently compared to the JFK or LGA even though it is not much to look at in terms of architecture and atmosphere.
