The latest sign that travel in the U.S. has officially rebounded since the pandemic comes from the New York metropolitan area. More specifically, it comes from a quartet of airports in and around New York City — John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International, and New York Stewart International Airports. This data suggests that international travel to and from the region hasn’t just caught up with pre-pandemic levels — it’s exceeded it.
According to information released this week by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in 2024 there was “record international travel demand” from the metropolitan area’s airports. (Or at least the four operated by the Port Authority — nearby Westchester County Airport does offer flights to Bermuda as well.) This demand, as the agency shared, outpaced the previously record set in 2019.
International travel out of the four airports wasn’t the only way the quartet set a record last year. The airports also hosted 145.9 million air travelers last year, up from the 143.8 million from 2023 that previously held the record. Gothamist’s Andrew Giambrone reported that three of the four airports saw an increase in air travelers from 2023 to 2024.
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Flying can be stressful. This can help make it easier.“A second consecutive record-breaking year, along with record-breaking international travel, is extraordinary. These numbers are a powerful affirmation of our ambitious vision and the remarkable transformation taking place at our airports to bring sleek new best-in-class terminals, upgraded passenger amenities and cutting-edge infrastructure to this region,” said Rick Cotton, the agency’s executive director, in a statement.
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