On Sept. 24, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey authorized $110 million to expand Terminal A at the three-year-old Newark Liberty International Airport, advancing plans to add eight gates as passenger traffic exceeds original projections.
Of the authorization, $100 million will fund the design and construction of a 25,000-square-foot south expansion with two general-use gates, adjacent seating, new restrooms and grab-and-go concession space. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion expected in 2029.
The remaining $10 million will fund planning for an expansion to the north with six additional common-use gates. The Port Authority will develop cost estimates and construction phases ahead of a project permit expected in 2027. These gates are expected to open in phases from 2030 to 2032.
The additions would expand the $2.7 billion Terminal A, which opened in 2023 with 33 gates and roughly 1 million square feet of space. The Port Authority has not identified a contractor for the expansion, and the southern expansion is in the design phase.
“At the time we made room for growth, and now after the terminal shattered passenger forecasts, it’s time to deliver on those ambitions,” Port Authority President Kevin O’Toole said in a statement. He said the additional gates will provide new passenger space and greater flexibility for airport operations.
Passenger growth drives expansion
Terminal A was designed to handle approximately 13.6 million passengers annually, according to Munich Airport NJ, which operates the terminal. More than 18 million passengers used it in 2024, and the operator reported an average of about 49,000 passengers processed daily that year.
The Port Authority plans to expand both ends of Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A, adding two gates to the south pier and six more to the north pier.
Map courtesy of PANYNJ
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) said in a statement that the expansion would help accommodate increased demand while creating jobs.
Port Authority planning documents say the additional gates are intended to maintain terminal service levels during busy periods and irregular operations, as well as accommodate passenger growth.
“These expansions to Terminal A are a critical step in our larger plan to overhaul and modernize Newark Liberty,” Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said in a statement.
Garcia said the additional gates will be built along with a new Terminal B, a replacement AirTrain system and redesigned road and taxiway networks aimed at increasing airport capacity and reducing delays.
Delivered as part of a $1.4 billion design-build package, construction of the terminal was led by Tutor Perini/Parsons JV, with STV as lead design firm and structural engineer and Grimshaw among the architects. The work included the redevelopment of the associated air and ground area, including a 1,000-foot pedestrian bridge to the consolidated rental car facility.
The latest expansion of Terminal A is included in the Port Authority’s $45 billion capital plan for 2026 through 2035. The program calls for additional gates at Terminal A along with a new Terminal B, improvements to Terminal C, a streamlined road network, taxiway improvements and the $3.5 billion replacement of AirTrain Newark.
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Separately, construction has progressed on the $3.5 billion AirTrain replacement that ENR reported in January, including work on a new elevated guideway between the airport train station and P4. Tutor Perini/O&G JV is designing and building the 2.5-mile, three-station guideway on an approximately $1.18 million contract, with Parsons as the lead design subcontractor. Passenger service is scheduled to begin in 2030.
The new system is designed to handle 50,000 passengers per day, compared to 33,000 on the existing AirTrain, and eliminates the current roughly 15-minute walk between the system and Terminal A.
