Port Authority Airports Post Third-Busiest Year Ever in 2025

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reported strong facility volumes across its system in 2025, with its commercial airports recording the third-busiest year in their history and a record-setting year-end holiday travel period.

The agency’s airports handled a combined 142.7 million passengers in 2025, trailing only the record totals set in 2024 and 2023. Officials said the near-record performance came despite disruptions tied to Federal Aviation Administration staffing challenges and a federal government shutdown in the fall.

Holiday travel provided a major boost. Between Dec. 22, 2025, and Jan. 4, 2026, Port Authority airports served 5.8 million passengers, the busiest year-end holiday period in the agency’s history. Additional holiday travel records were set during Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Presidents Day periods.

Among individual airports, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport each recorded their second-busiest years ever. JFK served 62.6 million passengers in 2025, while LaGuardia handled 32.8 million. Newark Liberty International Airport recorded its third-busiest year, serving 47 million passengers.

December volumes were also strong, with the airport system welcoming 12.2 million passengers, the second-busiest December on record. Newark Liberty came within 20,000 passengers of its December 2024 record, signaling recovery from earlier operational challenges.

Beyond aviation, the agency reported continued gains across its transportation network. The PATH commuter rail system surpassed 60 million riders for the first time since 2019, carrying 60.7 million passengers in 2025. December ridership reached 79% of pre-pandemic levels, matching the system’s strongest monthly recovery to date.

At the seaport, the Port of New York and New Jersey finished 2025 as the nation’s second-busiest port for loaded containers, moving nearly 6 million loaded TEUs, a 2.8% increase over 2024.

Traffic across the Port Authority’s bridges and tunnels remained steady, with 121.5 million eastbound vehicle crossings recorded in 2025, roughly in line with both 2024 and pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Port Authority officials said the results reflect sustained demand for travel and freight movement across the region as the agency continues advancing major capital projects under its long-term infrastructure program.