A record 52.3 million international travelers flew through the New York City area’s major airports last year, according to initial estimates.
The figures, from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, put the number of international travelers about 3% higher than the previous record of 50.9 million in 2019, the year before COVID-19 curtailed travel worldwide.
The airports — JFK, Newark, LaGuardia and Stewart — also had a record 145.9 million total passengers, up from 143.8 million in 2023, the Port Authority said. This made 2024 the second consecutive year for record travel at the region’s air hubs.
While the number of domestic travelers dipped slightly, from 94.2 million to 93.6 million, Port Authority officials touted the overall figures as proof of growing momentum following the pandemic and significant upgrades to three of the airports.
“This record number of travelers signifies a full post-pandemic recovery and highlights the success we’ve seen modernizing the region's airports into world-class gateways,” said Kevin O’Toole, the agency’s chair, in a statement on Wednesday.
Both JFK and LaGuardia had their busiest years ever, welcoming 63.3 million and 33.5 million passengers, respectively. Newark had 48.9 million passengers, about the same amount as in 2023. The number of passengers at Stewart, which is near Newburgh, New York, and is the smallest of the four airports, increased 9%, to 277,000.
The frenzy was boosted by record holiday travel, with 12.5 million travelers flying through the airports in December alone, the Port Authority said. That was 5% more than in the previous December, and the period from Dec. 21 through Jan. 2 was the peak of the holiday crush.
The Port Authority has been rolling out $30 billion in redevelopment projects at the airports, including new terminals at Newark, LaGuardia and JFK that are aimed at expanding their capacity. Improvements to ground transportation, roads and airfields are also among the projects, some of which are ongoing.
