The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has approved $110 million to expand Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A, following passenger demand well above its original forecasts.
The funding includes $100 million for a southern extension with two additional gates and $10 million to plan a northern expansion with six more gates. The southern project is scheduled to open in 2029, while the northern extension is expected to open in phases from 2030 to 2032, subject to further approval.
Terminal A opened in 2023 with 33 gates and was designed to serve approximately 13 million passengers annually. It handled around 18 million passengers in 2024, nearly 40% above that projection.
Two New Gates and More Passenger Facilities by 2029
Construction of the southern extension is due to begin in 2027.
The project will add 25,000 square feet, including two common-use gates, adjacent seating areas, a grab-and-go food and retail space, and men’s, women’s and all-gender restrooms.
The new facilities will extend the existing terminal, which was designed to allow expansion to both the north and south.
Six-Gate Northern Expansion Enters Planning
The northern project remains at an earlier stage. The $10 million allocation will fund planning, cost estimates and construction phasing ahead of an anticipated request for project approval in 2027.
Plans call for six additional common-use gates, with a phased opening between 2030 and 2032. The full construction budget has not yet been authorised.
Together, the two proposed extensions would add eight gates to Terminal A, giving the airport more flexibility in handling aircraft and passengers.
Passenger Growth Drives Further Investment
The $2.7 billion Terminal A covers approximately one million square feet and includes dining, shopping, digital passenger services and works by local artists.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said the terminal’s higher-than-expected passenger numbers had prompted the agency to move ahead with the expansion capacity built into its original design.
Executive Director Kathryn Garcia described the projects as part of the wider effort to modernise Newark, alongside terminal replacement, transport and airfield improvements.
Part of Newark’s Wider Redevelopment
The Terminal A projects sit within the Port Authority’s EWR Vision Plan, which sets out the airport’s long-term development.
Other proposals include replacing Terminal B, improving Terminal C and redesigning taxiways to increase aircraft parking flexibility and reduce delays. Roadway changes are intended to simplify access and separate traffic serving individual terminals.
The airport is also replacing AirTrain Newark with a 2.5-mile automated system connecting terminals, parking, rental car facilities and the airport railway station.
Separately, a new entrance to Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station is under construction to improve access for residents of Newark and Elizabeth.
