Blog 72: Airports I’m Visiting This Weekend 1/26-1/28
Hi there all and Welcome back to Brooke In The Air! Today I’m overviewing the airports ill be visiting this coming weekend (1/26-1/28). Specifically Nashville, Tennessee, New York-LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Washington D.C.-Dulles.
First well cover Washington D.C - Dulles International Airport.
Dulles Terminal at Night, Washington D.C.
Airport: Dulles International Airport
IATA: IAD
Location; just outside Washington D.C.
Hub: United - Star Alliance
Description: Located just 26 miles (or 42 km) west of downtown Washington D.C., the airport opened in 1962, is named after John Foster Dulles, an influential United States Secretary of State during the Cold War and who briefly represented New York in the United States Senate. Operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Dulles occupies 13,000 acres (20.3 sq mi; 52.6 km2), straddling the Loudoun–Fairfax line. IAD ranks fourth in the US in terms of land area, after Denver International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Southwest Florida International Airport. Most of the airport is in the unincorporated community of Dulles in Loudoun County, with a small portion in the unincorporated community of Chantilly in Fairfax County. Along with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Dulles is one of three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area. As of 2021, it is the second-busiest airport in the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area and 28th-busiest airport in the United States. Dulles has the most international passenger traffic of any airport in the Mid-Atlantic outside the New York metropolitan area, including approximately 90% of the international passenger traffic in the Baltimore–Washington region. It had more than 20 million passenger enplanements every year from 2004 to 2019, with 24 million individual departures in 2019. An average of 60,000 passengers pass through Dulles daily to and from more than 139 destinations around the world. Dulles is a hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by airlines that United has codeshare agreements with, mostly composed of Star Alliance members like Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa.
Dulles’ primary terminal and parking lot
Brief note on construction: Dulles was also built over a lesser-known airport named Blue Ridge Airport, chartered in 1938 by the U.S. The airport was Loudoun County's first official airport, consisting of two grass intersecting runways in the shape of an "X". The location of the former Blue Ridge Airport sits where the Dulles Air Freight complex and Washington Dulles Airport Marriott now sit today.
The civil engineering firm Ammann and Whitney was named lead contractor. The airport was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy and Eisenhower on November 17, 1962. As originally opened, the airport had three long runways (current day runways 1C/19C, 1R/19L, and 12/30) and one shorter one (where current taxiway Q is located). Its original name, Dulles International Airport, was changed in 1984 to Washington Dulles International Airport.
Dulles’ view from the air.
Facts:
When the SR-71 was retired by the military in 1990, one was flown from its birthplace at United States Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, to Dulles, setting a coast-to-coast speed record at an average 2,124 mph (or 3,418 km/h). The trip took 64 minutes. The aircraft was placed in a storage building, and is now displayed at the Smithsonian's adjacent Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum.
The first flight of the Boeing 777-200 in commercial service, a United Airlines flight from London Heathrow, landed at Dulles in 1995.
Southwest Airlines began service at Dulles in fall 2006.
On November 20, 2008, a third parallel north–south runway opened on the west side of the airfield, designated 1L/19R. The original 1L/19R was re-designated 1C/19C. It was the first new runway to be built at Dulles since the airport's construction.
On June 6, 2011, the airport received its first Airbus A380 flights when Air France introduced the A380 on its nonstop from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport during peak season.
On April 17 of 2012, the Space Shuttle Discovery was ferried to Dulles mounted to a NASA 747-100 as part of its decommissioning and installation in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
On June 1, 2012, the first passenger flight of the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental landed as a Lufthansa service from Frankfurt Airport.
As of 2019, Washington Dulles is only one of fourteen airports in the United States that sees daily operations from, and/or has at least one gate and one runway that can accommodate an Airbus A380; the others being Atlanta, Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Honolulu, Houston-Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles–LAX, Miami, New York–JFK, Orlando and San Francisco.
On November 15, 2022, the airport's Washington Metro station opened as part of the Phase 2 extension of the Silver Line rail service.
IATA MIX UP: Dulles originally used airport code DIA, the initials of Dulles International Airport. When handwritten, it was often misread as DCA, the code for Washington National Airport, so in 1968 Dulles's code was changed to IAD.
———————————————————————————-
Next we'll go over LaGuardia Airport in New York.
On approach to LaGuardia, NYC - Note the Southwest Airlines aircraft on the far left.
Airport: LaGuardia Airport, New York City
IATA: LGA
Location: Flushing- Queens, New York City metropolitan area
Hub: small hub for American and Delta. Focus City for Southwest Airlines.
Description: Covering 680 acres as of January 1, 2024, the facility was established in the midst of the great depression in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. The airport primarily accommodates airline service to domestic (and limited international) destinations. As of 2019, it was the third-busiest airport in the New York metropolitan area, behind Kennedy and Newark airports, and the twenty-first busiest in the United States by passenger volume. The airport is located directly to the north of the Grand Central Parkway, the airport's primary access highway. While the airport is a hub for both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, commercial service is strictly governed by unique regulations including a curfew, a slot system, and a "perimeter rule" prohibiting most non-stop flights to or from destinations greater than 1,500 mi (or 2,400 km).
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, LaGuardia was criticized for its outdated facilities, inefficient air operations, and poor customer service metrics (airlines nickname for LaGuardia was La Garbage). In response, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) in 2015 announced a multibillion-dollar reconstruction of the airport's passenger infrastructure, which is expected to be completed in whole by 2025.
North Beach Airport
In April 1929, New York Air Terminals, Inc., announced plans to open a private seaplane base at North Beach later that summer. The 200-acre (81 ha) facility was christened on June 15 and initially featured a 2-acre (0.81 ha) concrete plateau connected to the water by a 400 ft (120 m) amphibious aircraft ramp, with the former resort converted to a passenger terminal. Opening-day festivities for the new airport were attended by a crowd of 5,000, and included Air Races with Curtiss Seagulls and Sikorsky flying boats, a dedication address by Borough President George U. Harvey, and the commencement of airline service to Albany and Atlantic City by Coastal Airways and Curtiss Flying Service. One month later, service to Boston was launched using Savoia-Marchetti S.55 aircraft operated by Airvia.
Glenn H. Curtiss Airport
By 1930, the airport had been improved with hangars and night-illuminated runways, and it housed seaplanes of the recently reorganized New York City Police Department Aviation Unit. On September 23, the site was renamed Glenn H. Curtiss Airport in honor of the New York aviation pioneer who had died one month earlier (not to be confused with the preexisting Curtiss Field in nearby Garden City, nor a similarly renamed airport in Valley Stream). In a ceremony that same day, representatives from the forerunner to Trans World Airlines announced their bid to establish the nation's first transcontinental airmail route to the airport using Ford Trimotors; in attendance were Eleanor Roosevelt and Charles Lindbergh.
Though Curtiss Field was quickly becoming a magnet of aviation, Newark Airport remained the primary terminal for New York City-bound passengers and mail. The city's lack of its own central airport lingered as the 1930s wore on—especially as discussion grew regarding the commercial viability of privately operated airfields.
First Lady Pat Nixon opening service at LaGuardia on behalf of Pan Am
The 1934 election of mayor Fiorello La Guardia ushered in a new era of public investment in New York City's airports. Mayor LaGuardia had been a long-time aviation advocate; in a 1927 editorial penned while serving as a US Representative of New York, he criticized both the federal and state governments' slow progress in establishing municipal airports in the city. Although several potential sites had been identified, LaGuardia mainly pushed for the transformation of Governors Island into a combined airport and seaplane base. While the Governors Island proposal was being litigated and eventually shut down due to military concerns, Mayor LaGuardia also saw development potential in Curtiss Airport. The rest was history.
At a key ceremony that day, LaGuardia also received a signed lease from TWA for hangar space at Floyd Bennett Field—making it the first major US airline to serve New York City (NYC) directly. While it would still be years before TWA arrived at North Beach, LaGuardia had begun fulfilling one of his ultimate goals: extracting New York City from "the humiliating position of seeing all its passengers and mail traffic go to a nearby state."
LaGuardia Airport Becomes Official
The initiative to develop the airport for commercial flights began with an outburst by New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia (in office from 1934 to 1945) upon the arrival of his TWA flight at Newark Airport – the only commercial airport serving the New York City region at the time – as his ticket said "New York". He demanded to be taken to New York, and ordered the plane to be flown to Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field, giving an impromptu press conference to reporters along the way.
Because of American Airlines’ pivotal role in the development of the airport, LaGuardia gave the airline extra real estate during the airport's first year of operation, including four hangars, which was an unprecedented amount of space at the time. American opened its first Admirals Club (and the first private airline club in the world) at the airport in 1939. The club took over a large office space that had previously been reserved for the mayor, but he offered it for lease following criticism from the press, and American vice president Red Mosier immediately accepted the offer.
The modest North Beach Airport was transformed into a 550-acre state-of-the-art facility at a cost of $23 million to New York City. Not everyone shared La Guardia's enthusiasm for the project; some thought it was a $40 million waste of money. However, the concept of air travel itself captivated the public, and thousands of people went to the airport to see the planes take off and land in exchange for a dime. After two years, these fees and the parking they generated had already brought in $285,000. In addition, $650,000 was made annually from non-travel-related sources like restaurants. LaGuardia airport was soon a financial success.
Newark Airport began renovations, but could not keep up with the new Queens airport, which TIME Magazine called "the most pretentious land and seaplane base in the world". Even before the project was completed LaGuardia had won commitments from the five largest airlines to begin using the airport as bases.
Modern era
Although LaGuardia was a large airport for the era in which it was built, it soon became too small. Starting in 1968 general aviation aircraft were charged heavy fees to operate from LaGuardia during peak hours, driving many LGA operators to airports such as Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey. In 1984, to further combat overcrowding at LGA, the Port Authority instituted a Sunday-thru-Friday "perimeter rule" banning nonstop flights from LaGuardia to cities more than 1,500 mi (2,400 km) away; at the time, Denver was the only such city with nonstop flights, and it became the only exception to the rule. (In 1986 Western Airlines hoped to fly 737-300s nonstop to Salt Lake City and unsuccessfully challenged the rule in federal court.) Later, the Port Authority also moved to connect JFK and Newark Airport to regional rail networks with the AirTrain Newark and AirTrain JFK, in an attempt to make these more distant airports competitive with LaGuardia. In addition to these local regulations, the FAA also limited the number of flights and types of aircraft that could operate at LaGuardia.
Modern aerial view of LaGuardia Airport.
In 2003, the FAA approved Instrument Departure Procedure "Whitestone Climb" and the "Expressway Visual Approach to Runway 31". Essentially, in explanation, When adopting the Expressway Approach, when the aircraft crosses the intersection of I-278 and the Long Island Expressway in Long Island City, it turns northeast on 85° and follows the Long Island Expressway, after reaching Flushing Meadow Park, the aircraft executes a 135° left turn over the Flushing Bay and joins the final approach to the Runway 31. When adopting Whitestone Climb, aircraft will circle over Flushing and head to Whitestone Bridge on the North upon takeoff from Runway 13. Such patterns aim to reduce the noise, avoid the traffic of the JFK Airport and maximize the air traffic capacity in the New York TRACON.
A Brief Note on TRACON: (The New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) is located in Westbury, Long Island. New York TRACON, also known as N90, is a type of Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facility known as a consolidated TRACON, meaning that a single location provides approach service for several large airports. The primary responsibility of the New York TRACON is the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of arrival, departure, and en-route traffic. N90 is responsible for three major airports, all located within the same New York Class B airspace: John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport. Additionally, N90 is responsible for dozens of smaller but busy fields, including Long Island MacArthur Airport, Teterboro Airport, Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, and Westchester County Airport. N90 also controls the large number of VFR aircraft that fly through the New York Class B airspace every day.)
Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt at LaGuardia in the 1950s
Facts
On December 16, 2011, Delta Air Lines announced plans to open a new domestic hub at LaGuardia Airport. The investment was the largest single expansion by any carrier at LaGuardia in decades, with flights increasing by more than 60 percent, and destinations by more than 75 percent. By summer 2013, Delta increased operations to 264 daily flights between LaGuardia and more than 60 cities, more than any other airline at LaGuardia.
In November 2019, Southwest Airlines ended service to Newark primarily due to the Boeing 737 MAX groundings, poor performance, and inadequate facilities, and consolidated its New York–area operations to LaGuardia and Islip.
On July 27, 2015, Governor Andrew Cuomo, joined by then-Vice President Joe Biden, announced a $4 billion plan to rebuild the terminals as one contiguous building with terminal bridges connecting buildings. Airport officials and planners had concluded that the airport essentially had to be torn down and rebuilt.
Curfew and perimeter rule
To mitigate the impact of aircraft noise pollution and facilitate airfield maintenance, a seasonal curfew traditionally exists between the hours of 12 am and 6 am during the warm months of the year. Additionally, a 1984 "perimeter rule" bars airline flights to and from points farther than 1,500 mi (2,400 km), except on Saturdays or to Denver, Colorado. With long haul operations generally requiring heavier fuel loads and larger aircraft, the regulation aims to eliminate excess perceived noise generated by such flights.
Slot system
As one of the United States' most-dense and congested Class B airports, LaGuardia's IFR operations are governed by an FAA slot system. Operators are granted time-sensitive individual takeoff and landing rights in accordance with the International Air Transport Association's Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG) which demandsan articlein itself.
In 2020, the FAA responded to drastic reductions in air traffic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by suspending the expiration of unused slots at several US airports including LaGuardia.
General aviation
LGA offers facilities fof private fliers. Although there is no separate terminal building for general aviation aircraft a pseudo-terminal is operated within the Marine Air Terminal (Terminal A), which is currently run by Sheltair Aviation providing full FBO services to private and charter aircraft owners-pilots including Jet A fueling, computerized weather, and flight planning as well as pilot and passenger lounges. To access the General Aviation terminal an on-airport tenant must possess a SIDA (Security Identification Display Area) badge for unescorted access, transient aircraft owners-pilots and passengers must be escorted at all times into and out of the GA Terminal and to the ramp and hangar areas by the FBO staff.
Following the events of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Federal Aviation Administration changed the rules for the landing and departure of general aviation aircraft at LaGuardia. Pilots operating a non-scheduled IFR flight are now required to make a reservation via the FAA's e-CVRS system no more than 72 hours prior to the flight's arrival or departure while public charter flights may make a reservation up to six months prior. Unscheduled IFR flights may only operate at LaGuardia with a reservation. Reservations for unscheduled IFR flights are not required all day on Saturdays. Aircraft without a reservation will be redirected to either Teterboro Airport or Linden Air——————————————————————————————————————————————
Then, we have Tennessee - Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee.
Airport: Nashville International Airport
IATA: BNA
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Hub: none, Focus City for Southwest Airlines
Description: BNA is a public and military cross-use airport in the southeastern section of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1937, its original name was Berry Field, from which its ICAO and IATA identifiers are derived. The current terminal was built in 1987, and the airport took its current name in 1988. Nashville International Airport has four runways and covers 4,555 acres of land. It is by far the busiest airport in Tennessee, with more boardings and arrivals than all other airports in the state combined though that isn’t saying much.
The airport was first served by American Airlines and Eastern Air Lines, and was a hub for American in the late 20th century. The airport is now offers service to 99 destinations across the United States as well as a number of international destinations including London's Heathrow Airport on British Airways. In fiscal year 2022, it averaged 600 daily aircraft movements.
Nashville International Airport close-in photo courtesy the International Space Station
Joint Base Berry Field, formerly Berry Field Air National Guard Base, is located at Nashville International Airport. The base is home to the 118th Wing and the 1/230th Air Cavalry Squadron Tennessee Army National Guard.The airport was first served by American Airlines and Eastern Air Lines, and was a hub for American in the late 20th century. The airport is now offers service to 99 destinations across the United States as well as a number of international destinations including London's Heathrow Airport on British Airways. In fiscal year 2022, it averaged 600 daily aircraft movements. Joint Base Berry Field, formerly Berry Field Air National Guard Base, is located at Nashville International Airport. The base is home to the 118th Wing and the 1/230th Air Cavalry Squadron of the Tennessee Army National Guard.
Berry Field Air National Guard Base (ANGB) was located on the premises of Nashville International Airport. Since 1937 it hosted the 118th Airlift Wing (AW). Berry Field faced the removal of its flying mission with the BRAC 2005 recommendation to realign its assets to other units. It initially averted this fate by taking on a new role as the C-130 International Training Center. The C-130s assigned to the unit were eventually transferred and the 118th AW became the 118th Wing, supporting unmanned aircraft operations.
Approximately 1,500 personnel are assigned to both headquarters, Tennessee Air National Guard and to the 118 Air Wing at Berry Air National Guard Base. Approximately 400 are full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technician (ART) personnel, augmented by approximately 1100 traditional part-time air guardsmen.
The last C-130 left Nashville in December 2012, and on April 17, 2015, the first UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters belonging to the Tennessee Army National Guard's 1/230th Air Cavalry Squadron relocated to what is now known as Joint Base Berry Field from Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Smyrna, Tennessee.
Nashville's first airport was Hampton Field, which operated until 1921. It was replaced by Blackwood Field in the Hermitage community, which operated between 1921 and 1928. The first airlines to serve Nashville, American Airlines and Eastern Air Lines, flew out of Sky Harbor Airport in nearby Rutherford County.
By 1935, the need for an airport larger and closer to the city than Sky Harbor Airport was realized and a citizens' committee was organized by Mayor Hilary Ewing Howse to choose a location. A 340-acre plot along Dixie Parkway (now Murfreesboro Road) composed of four farms was selected, and construction began in 1936 as one of the first major Works Progress Administration projects in the area. The airport was dedicated on November 1, 1936, as Berry Field, named after Col. Harry S. Berry, the Tennessee administrator for the Works Progress Administration. It opened in June 1937 with much fanfare, including parades, an air show, and an aerial bombardment display by the 105th Aero Squadron, which was based at the field. Passenger service began in mid-July through American Airlines and Eastern Airlines, both of which operated Douglas DC-3s (civilian equivalents of the Gooney Bird military transports). The new airport had three asphalt runways, a three-story passenger terminal, a control tower, two hangars and a beacon, and was built at a cost of $1.2 million. In its first year Berry Field served 189,000 passengers.
During World War II, the airfield was requisitioned by the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command as the headquarters for the 4th Ferrying Command for movement of new aircraft overseas. During this time, the Federal government expanded the airport to 1,500 acres. At the end of the war, the airport was returned to the control of the city, with a number of facilities remaining for support of the tenant unit of the Tennessee National Guard.
The airport had been enlarged by the military during World War II, but in 1958 the City Aviation Department started planning to expand and modernize the airport. In 1961, a new 145,000 square feet (13,500 m2) terminal opened off of Briley Parkway, west of runway 2L. 1961 also saw the first scheduled jets at Berry Field, American Airlines 720/720Bs. For the first time, more than half a million people passed through the airport when the six airlines that served Nashville carried 532,790 passengers. These renovations also included expansion of an existing runway, with 2L/20R being extended by 600 feet (180 m), and the construction of a new crosswind runway, 13/31. In 1962, Nashville became the first municipal airport in the United States with a public reading room when the Nashville Public Library opened a branch inside the terminal.
In 2002, Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services (EAMS) selected Nashville as the location for its Regional Airline Support Facility, which was built on the site of the demolished 1961 terminal building.
In October of 2006, the Nashville Metropolitan Airport Authority started an extensive renovation of the terminal building, designed by Architectural Alliance of Minneapolis and Thomas, Miller & Partners, PLLC, of Nashville, the first since the terminal opened 19 years prior. Phase one of the project involved updating and expanding food and vending services, improving flight information systems, and construction of a new consolidated security checkpoint for all terminals. Phase one was completed in 2009. Phase two of the project involved the expansion of the ticketing and check-in areas, the construction and renovation of bathrooms, and the renovation of the baggage claim areas. Completion of the second phase of the renovation project occurred in 2011. The renovated terminal was named the Robert C. H. Mathews Jr. Terminal in honor of a MNAA board chair in 2011.
In addition to passenger amenities in the terminal and parking areas, the renovations included improvements to the airport's infrastructure. The largest project was the complete demolition and rebuilding of Runway 2L/20R, which was completed in August 2010. In addition to the rebuilding of Runway 2L/20R, Runway 2C/20C was closed from September through December 2010 for pavement and concrete rehabilitation. BNA's 91 acres of tarmac were also rehabilitated during this project after being funded entirely by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allotments.
In recent years, the airport has seen rapid growth in both passengers and flights. Southwest Airlines, long the dominant airline in Nashville, has been building up Nashville into one of their top stations, including opening a crew base at the airport. In May of 2018, British Airways (BA) inaugurated nonstop service to London, restoring transatlantic service for the first time since American Airlines ended their London flight in 1995.
To accommodate growth, the Metro Nashville Airport Authority has commenced two expansion programs, entitled "BNA Vision" and "New Horizons" respectively, which are overhauling and expanding many of the airport's facilities.
The airport has one terminal with five concourses and a total of 54 gates. All non-pre–cleared international flights are processed in Concourse T. Gates C4-C11 are located on a satellite concourse.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
Lastly, we have a major airport I've already covered in a past blog so I won’t go into too much detail here.
Airport: Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.
IATA: EWR
Location: Straddling the county line between Elizabeth in Union County and Newark in Essex County, New Jersey
Description: Located about 4.5 miles (or 7.2 km) south of downtown Newark and 9 miles (in metric, 14 km) west-southwest of Manhattan in New York City, it is a major gateway to points in Europe, South America, Asia, and Oceania. It is jointly owned by the cities and leased to its operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It is the second-busiest airport in the New York airport system behind John F. Kennedy International Airport but far ahead of LaGuardia Airport. AirTrain Newark connects the terminals with the Newark Liberty International Airport Station. The station is served by NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line. Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Keystone Service trains also stop at the station.
Aerial view of EWR in the winter
The City of Newark built the airport on 68 acres of marshland in 1928, and the Army Air Corps operated the facility during World War II. The airport was constructed adjacent to Port Newark and U.S. Route 1. After the Port Authority took it over in 1948, an instrument runway, a terminal building, a control tower, and an air cargo center were added. The airport's Building One from 1935 was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In 2000, the Port Authority moved the historic Building 51 and renamed it to Building One. The building, which weighs more than 7,000 short tons (6,200 long tons; 6,400 t), was hydraulically lifted, placed atop dollies and rolled about 0.75 miles (1.21 km). It now is where the airport's administrative offices are.
September 11, 2001
The 9/11 Memorial at Newark Liberty International Airport with deactivated Gate A17 flying the American flag.
After the hijacking and subsequent crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in the September 11 attacks in 2001 while en route from Newark to San Francisco, the airport's name was changed from Newark International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport in 2002. This name was chosen over the initial proposal, Liberty International Airport at Newark, and pays tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks and to the landmark Statue of Liberty, lying 7 miles (11 km) east of the airport.
Modern day
As of 2023, Newark serves 50 carriers and is the third-largest hub for United Airlines after Chicago O'Hare and Houston George Bush Intercontinental. During a 12-month period ending in March 2022, over 63% of all passengers at the airport were carried by United Airlines. The second-busiest airline is JetBlue Airways, which carries 11.4%, and then American Airlines, which carries 5.6%. The second largest tenant is FedEx, which operates in 3 buildings on around two million square feet of the airport's property.
Across the airport's three terminals, A, B, C, there are 125 gates: Terminal A has 33 gates, Terminal B has 24 gates, and Terminal C has 68 gates.
Gate numbering starts in Terminal A with Gate A1 and ends in Terminal C at C138. Wayfinding signage throughout the terminals exists everywhere, and the same designer also designed signage for LaGuardia and JFK Airports keeping it all in the New York Area.
