Study Names Newark Airport Worst In Nation, But Is It Fair?

NEWARK, NJ — A $2.7 billion effort to build a new terminal and a high-profile campaign to improve its restaurant scene didn’t keep Newark Airport from ranking as the worst place in the U.S. to fly in a recent study.

Newark Airport came in at #116, just 16 spots from the bottom of a world-wide ranking from travel information website AirHelp.

To reach their conclusion, researchers compared factors such as “on-time performance,” “service quality” and “foods/shops.” To learn more about the AirHelp Score methodology and see the full list, click here.

Here were Newark’s scores (1 is the worst, 10 is the best):

• Overall Score – 6.83
• On-Time Performance – 6.7
• Service Quality – 7.1
• Food and Shops – 7.1

Despite the low ranking, Newark Airport wasn’t too far behind the best airport in the study, Hamad International Airport in Qatar, which got an 8.39 overall score.

The worst airport in the world – according to researchers – is Lisbon Portela Airport in Portugal, which got a 5.77 overall score.

Just days after AirHelp released its 2019 rankings, another study from CompareCards.com named Newark Airport as the nation’s “worst airport for on-time arrivals during the summer.” (See the full list here)

According to CompareCards:

“Newark-Liberty remains America’s most delay-ridden airport in the summer months. One out of three planes landed late between 2009 and 2018. Summer visitors to New York won’t get much relief by booking flights to other airports. The summer on-time arrival rate at LaGuardia (69%, second worst in the nation) and JFK (about 72%, fourth worst) weren’t much better.”

• See related article: Budget Airline Serving Newark Airport Folds, Passengers Stranded

IMPROVEMENTS AT NEWARK AIRPORT

Perhaps the most visible sign of improvement at Newark Liberty International Airport is the massive, $2.7 billion construction effort known as the Terminal One Redevelopment Program.

According to Port Authority officials, Terminal One, which is replacing the outmoded Terminal A, will feature "cutting-edge digital technology, superior dining and retail options in approximately one million square feet of space able to accommodate 13.6 million passengers on three levels."

The new terminal will have 33 common-use gates to handle larger aircraft and modernized check-in, security and baggage claim areas, officials said. (Watch videos of the proposed construction here)

Overall, the Terminal One project is expected to generate more than $4.6 billion in regional economic activity, "create more than 23,000 job years" and provide more than $1.9 billion in wages. Terminal One is scheduled to be fully operational by 2022.

• See related article: How To Get Jobs, Contracts For $2.7B Project At Newark Airport
• See related article: Port Authority Awards Crucial Contract For Newark Airport

Earlier this month, the agency that regulates Newark Airport – the Port Authority of NY/NJ – announced that 22 “Jersey-centric” shopping and dining destinations are coming to Terminal B of the busy travel center.

The rollout of the new restaurants and shops is part of the Port Authority’s effort to enhance and expand customer services and options across all of its facilities, including Newark, JFK and LaGuardia airports.

According to a Port Authority statement issued on May 6:

“Construction of the new dining and retail destinations is already underway. Two locations – the travel essentials store All You Need and Starbucks – are currently open and operating. The other brands will continue to open throughout 2019, introducing travelers to three branded sections of the terminal that emphasize design elements inspired by New Jersey settings: Jersey Shore boardwalks, Newark’s Ironbound section and a Garden State theme.”

Port Authority officials said:

“At the heart of the new Newark Liberty Terminal B dining and retail experience is the Jersey by the Shore food hall, where travelers can find favorite boardwalk-inspired offerings at Malone’s Fish Market, Little Tony’s Pizzeria and Firehouse Subs. Travelers looking for a libation will enjoy the beer garden setting at Budweiser Brewhouse, just blocks from Newark’s flagship Anheuser-Busch brewery.”

Port Authority officials added:

“Retail and concessions operators such as Areas, Canonica, HMS Host, InMotion, Pacific Gateway Concessions and Villa will operate the 22 locations coming to the terminal. Among the other food and dining outlets opening in Terminal B are Carlo’s Bake Shop -- the Hoboken-based inspiration of TLC television show Cake Boss – Smashburger, Panda Express, Italian eatery Piattino, Mexican favorite Salsarita’s, The New Stand coffee and amenities shop, Cacao Bar, Tony + Benny’s Pizza Parlor and Canonica restaurant. The new retail options also include two new shops featuring the latest in technology and electronics: InMotion and Wired.”

• See related article: Newark Airport Gets All-Vegetarian Restaurant, Amanda Cohen To Helm

In addition to the new retail and food options, other recent additions to Newark Airport include an interactive New Jersey Hall of Fame exhibit and new, state-of-the-art “nursing pods.”

• See related article: Cutting-Edge Pods Make It Easier To Breastfeed At Newark Airport

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