To beat the holiday rush, Port Authority says get to airports early

Passengers flying out of Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports for the holidays should plan to arrive three hours ahead to navigate construction and potentially record crowds, Port Authority officials said Monday.

An estimated 1.3 million travelers are expected to pass through Kennedy this week amid the airport's ongoing $19 billion renovation, which will include a new International Terminal 1, as well as a new Terminal 6 attached to Terminal 5, officials said.

"We expect record volumes of travelers setting really the highest level of usage that we have seen," said Rick Cotton executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, before members of the news media toured the Terminal 1 construction site Monday.

"The growth of travel since the end of the pandemic has been extraordinary," Cotton added, "and we are in the middle, at JFK, of an extraordinary transformation of the airport."

Construction is set to continue through 2026, Cotton said.

The potential record numbers of airline passengers this holiday season could be due to the lingering effects of "revenge travel" — people still eager to make up for lost time during the pandemic, said Alec Slatky, a spokesman for AAA Northeast.

The Port Authority has advised air travelers to take public transportation when possible during the upcoming holidays. Officials warned of delays and traffic congestion due to ongoing road construction at Kennedy. The designated site for car service pickups and ride-sharing services has been moved to an off-site lot, officials said.

The airport will remain fully operational while work on the various projects continues, according to the Port Authority. Construction delays are not expected at LaGuardia and Newark, but both will also be crowded with travelers over the long Thanksgiving weekend, officials said.

At Kennedy, plans for the three-story Terminal 1 include 2.4 million square feet of space and 23 international gates, making it one of the largest terminals nationwide. The $9.5 billion terminal is expected to open its first phase, including 14 gates, in 2026. The currently used Terminal 1 will be demolished once the new one is completed.

Construction is nearly at its peak, Cotton said, just as the holiday season gets rolling. The Port Authority estimates that this year's Thanksgiving holiday weekend at the airport will break last year's passenger record by more than 25,000.

"A project of this size is daunting under any circumstances, but considering that we are rebuilding JFK while we are maintaining full operations and we're handling record numbers of passengers, we're on track for 2024 to be the busiest, not only at all three of our airports, but in particular at JFK, and for the Thanksgiving week," Cotton said. "We want to caution and warn travelers that inevitably, at peak times, there will be heavy traffic, maybe some congestion. Our message to the traveling public is very direct and very simple: Leave extra time if you plan to travel through one of the Port Authority airports this weekend."

Kennedy construction has eliminated 3,500 parking spots and decreased vehicles on airport roads by 4,000 cars per day, totaling 500,000 fewer vehicles since traffic began being diverted this past summer, said Jessica Forse, the Port Authority’s project executive at Kennedy. AirTrain ridership is also up by 14% and the Port Authority is adding more peak-hour trains for the holidays, Forse said, adding that anyone parking at the airport is urged to prebook their spot.

During construction, car service and ride-share pickups for arriving passengers have been relocated to a lot near the AirTrain stop off Lefferts Boulevard and close to long-term parking. The lot is also free for drivers waiting to pick up passengers. Car service and ride-share drivers can still drop off departing passengers in front of any terminal.

Traffic has surged all year, and the Transportation Security Administration, has so far reported 34 million more passengers nationwide than last year, Slatky said.

"For Thanksgiving, it’s a holiday people really tend to prioritize," he said. “ ‘Leave early’ is the best advice if you have to drive. No one likes to drive into the airport. It’s a pain at the best times, not just at JFK, but everywhere. A lot of folks are driving to the terminal, and they should be prepared for that traffic."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.