New York: New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport has experienced a sharp decline in passenger traffic and demand in recent weeks, as travelers opt for alternate airports in the wake of multiple service disruptions and ongoing infrastructure issues.
According to Kayak, a unit of Booking Holdings, the number of travelers choosing Newark as their arrival airport dropped by 19% since April 28, while departures fell by approximately 15%. The dip in demand reflects growing passenger anxiety after a radar and telecommunications blackout at the airport caused significant operational chaos, including flight diversions and cancellations.
The April 28 outage, which lasted between 30 and 90 seconds, triggered cascading delays and heightened concerns over the airport’s reliability. In its aftermath, many travelers have opted for longer commutes to other regional airports—primarily LaGuardia and JFK—to minimize the risk of lengthy delays.
“The thousands of daily social media conversations about the airport remain 98% negative,” reported social media analytics firm Sprout Social.
Kayak CEO Steve Hafner explained the shift in traveler preferences: “If they can get into LaGuardia, that’s their number one pick, then JFK and then Newark. Even if they live on the west side of Manhattan, because you just can’t afford to risk a three- or four-hour delay.”
Between April 28 and May 20, passenger arrivals at Newark declined by about 13% compared to the same period last year, according to tourism data provider Data Appeal. In contrast, LaGuardia saw a 5.7% rise in arrivals, while JFK experienced a 7% decline, partly due to falling international travel demand.
Even before the outages, Newark was already showing signs of strain. Port Authority data indicated a 2.7% year-over-year decline in total passenger volumes in March.
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The impact of these disruptions has led some loyal passengers to reluctantly shift their travel plans. “I actually don’t like any other airport other than Newark,” said Gabrielle J., 24, of Newark, who opted to fly out of JFK for her summer trip to the Caribbean. “As the outages happened, we were in the process of booking. So we were like, ‘okay, now we definitely can’t fly from Newark.'”
Further complicating matters, ongoing runway repairs at Newark—scheduled for completion by June 15—have contributed to delays and cancellations. Stef Anderson, a 28-year-old resident of San Francisco, recounted her experience with United Airlines: her May 16 flight to Newark was delayed by over eight hours before being canceled entirely.
“I’ve heard that it will hopefully get fixed by June. I would love for that to happen,” Anderson said, adding that she’s keeping her fingers crossed for her upcoming May 28 flight to Paris. Despite the disruptions, she continues to fly United because of her premier silver status. “They have me in golden handcuffs—otherwise I would fly Alaska,” she added.
As the Federal Aviation Administration moves forward with flight cuts to reduce congestion at Newark, the airport’s future passenger volumes may depend heavily on how quickly operational reliability can be restored.
