19 December 2006 -- This weekend, Newark Liberty International Airport for the first time surpassed its pre-9/11 annual passenger numbers and set a record for total passengers in a calendar year. A new record high for annual passengers has been established with more than 34,200,000 passengers having passed through Newark Liberty this year. The previous annual high was set in 2000, when 34,188,701 passengers used the airport. Newark Liberty and the rest the nation’s aviation facilities saw tremendous declines in passenger numbers post-9/11.

“The numbers demonstrate that Newark Liberty has fully rebounded from the downturn it suffered five years ago,” Port Authority Chairman Anthony R. Coscia said. “We expect the airport’s growth to continue and for Newark Liberty to remain a strong economic engine for the state, generating roughly $20 billion in annual economic activity.

“But to continue the success at Newark, we have to make serious investments that make it an attractive location for the aviation industry and a facility able to mange the increasing number of daily passengers. Our recently approved 10-year capital plan earmarks $1 billion for improvements at Newark, including a state-of-the-art perimeter security system, expanded and modernized Terminals A and B, access road improvements and more.”

Port Authority Executive Director Kenneth J. Ringler said, “The staff here deserves a tremendous of amount of credit for helping carry the airport though a very challenging period. We expect the success at Newark to continue in the coming years.”

In 2007, more than 36 million passengers are expected to use Newark Liberty, with numbers projected to reach more than 40 million annual passengers by 2010 and nearly 48 million by 2020.

Annual Passenger Numbers at Newark Liberty since 2000:

2000-34,188,701
2001-30,500,000
2002-29,202,654
2003-29,431,061
2004-31,908,556
2005-33,037,754
2006-34.2 million and counting

John F. Kennedy International Airport is expected to handle 42 million passengers this year and LaGuardia airport is expected to handle 26 million passengers.