It’s an exciting time at New York City airports. We’ve already written about See amazing planes from LaGuardia Airport's new flyover and The huge new Terminal 1 JFK International Airport project. Across the Hudson River, Newark International Airport is also undergoing a massive project. The first phase is a complete reconstruction of the 50-year-old Terminal A. We stopped by for a tour, and from first-hand experience, the results are impressive.
Join us on a photo and video tour of the new terminal, focusing on AvGeek's appeal and aircraft spotting potential.
The new Terminal A, opening in late 2022, will be the airport’s southernmost terminal.
The new Terminal A was built alongside the old terminal to allow for a gradual transition from one terminal to the other. In the satellite image below, you can see the new terminal (bottom) and the old terminal (top). The latter has now been decommissioned.
I try to take public transportation to the airport whenever possible. One problem with the new Terminal A is that the temporary AirTrain station is a 15-minute walk from the terminal, or requires a short bus ride. This problem will eventually be solved when the currently crowded and unreliable EWR AirTrain is improved. reconstructionBut that’s still years away, so for now public transportation access is still a problem.
But I had completely forgotten about the AirTrain when I arrived at the new terminal, which was bright and filled with Jersey-themed artwork, compared to the dark and cramped old terminal.
The terminal's TSA security checkpoint features a large status screen and some futuristic neon-decorated baggage scanners.
Once you've passed through security, the terminal has a fairly simple layout. Most gates are located in the terminal's main East Concourse, with a few located in the smaller North and South Concourses.
To date, five airlines operate in the new Terminal A: American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Air Canada. The first three airlines each have their own lounges here.
Now comes the part you’ve been waiting for: plane spotting. There must have been some #AvGeeks on the terminal design committee, as there are plenty of beanbag seats set up near the windows for the best spotting spots.
The best views are at the very end of the main terminal pier, which is closest to the airport runway.
Bring a camera with a good zoom lens so you can snap some photos with the Manhattan skyline in the background.
We spent a full hour admiring the terminal before boarding our outbound United 737 MAX flight. Our takeoff time coincided with a beautiful golden sunset.
Comments on Newark's new Terminal A
The new terminal cost nearly $3 billion and is expected to serve 15 million passengers per year. So Newark Airport had to get it right. Fortunately, the new Terminal A seemed like a good choice. It’s airy, bright, and beautifully decorated with a lot of local flair.
It's not just us. Terminal A was rated Best New Terminal in the latest Skytrax World Airport AwardsPublic reaction to the terminal's first year of operation has been overwhelmingly positive, and sometimes hilarious:
The only complaint so far is the AirTrain situation. It takes 15 minutes to walk from the station to the terminal, and Terminal A is already the farthest station from the train line, so it takes an additional 20 minutes to get here by public transportation.
Overall, this is a great place to fly and a great place for aircraft spotting. If you’ve been, let us know what you thought in the comments section below.
