Dive Brief:
- The first phase of a $200 million overhaul to Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal B took a major step forward last week, according to a May 21 news release.
- An initial $75 million investment, approved by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will address gate area improvements; restrooms; high-traffic spaces; lighting; and elevator, escalator and boarding bridge systems, according to the release.
- The project is part of the Port Authority’s EWR Vision Plan, a redevelopment program for terminal improvements and infrastructure upgrades within the agency’s $45 billion 2026-2035 capital plan.
Dive Insight:
The EWR Vision Plan reached its first major milestone in 2023 with the opening of the new Terminal A. The plan aims to enhance airside operations and build a new AirTrain Newark system, in addition to the terminal upgrades.
A joint venture of Tutor Perini and O&G Industries broke ground in October 2025 on the $3.5 billion AirTrain Newark replacement project. The 2.5-mile automated rail system will replace the outmoded AirTrain that opened in 1996.
The future AirTrain system will accommodate the region’s growing ridership, which officials expect to grow 50% by 2040, according to the release. The current system at the airport transports roughly 33,000 passengers and employees daily, or about 12 million passengers annually.
The first phase of the recently approved $200 million, three-year program will also improve HVAC systems and refurbish baggage handling systems, according to the release.
“Newark is undergoing a major transformation, but that cannot come at the expense of the passenger experience today,” said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority. “We’re replacing what’s worn, upgrading what’s outdated, and making targeted improvements that will be immediately noticeable to anyone who travels through Terminal B.”
