After a Rough Opening at Newark’s New Terminal A, Airport Officials Say Things Have Smoothed Out

The opening of Newark Liberty International Airport’s new $2.5 billion Terminal A to passengers close to a month ago had what might be considered a bumpy takeoff.

A power disruption, long lines at Transportation Security Administration check points and problems with jetways that delayed some arrivals on Jan. 12 and into Jan. 13 marred what Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials wanted to be a grand party for the first new terminal at Newark in roughly 35 years.

Day one was also marred by a security breach, where unscreened passengers got past checkpoints and had to be located and screened.

Security lines were forming and getting long on the morning of Jan. 12 as Port Authority officials were celebrating the opening of Terminal A, which had been pushed back from Dec. 8 because of fire alarm and security issues.

“There were significant challenges at the checkpoints,” said Huntley Lawrence, Port Authority Chief Operations Officer. “We have the most advanced equipment and technology at the checkpoints at Terminal A.”

They don’t work without power and that was the first problem that happened early that morning.

“A power outage in Terminal A, outside the control of TSA, on day one significantly impacted our ability to screen passengers,” said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokesperson.

The culprit for the power interruption was in a circuit breaker panel, Lawrence said.

“It was repaired, there was testing done, thermal imaging testing to look for any potential shorts elsewhere in the building and that work was completed,” he said. “We systematically looked at other places to find any issues.”

When the power came back on, the lines persisted and there were several reasons for it.

The TSA initially staffed up to 12 security checkpoint lanes during peak hours, which was exactly what the agency said it would be able to deploy on Jan. 12, Farbstein said. It also was four more lanes than operated in the old Terminal A.

The checkpoint issue was affected by more passengers using the new terminal than expected after United Airlines transferred 75 to 80 flights using smaller aircraft from the old Terminal A to Terminal C and sent flights using larger aircraft to the new Terminal A .

“We did an exchange. We brought all the ( United) Express flights to Terminal C and put mainline flights (using larger Airbus aircraft) out of Terminal A,” said John Weigand, United Airlines managing director of station operations at Newark. “More people were displaced to Terminal A, but it was the same flight numbers.”

The new terminal can accommodate any size aircraft at any gate, including a Boeing 787 and other large transcontinental aircraft, Lawrence said during a November tour.

And that’s what United did, sending flights using larger Airbus aircraft to the new terminal and United Express flights using smaller planes to its Terminal C hub.

Doing that minimized the number of connecting flights for passengers and increased the number of direct flights from Newark to vacation destinations in South Florida, Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Diego, Weigand said.

The change also increases reliability because Airbus parts and tires will be based in one place, Terminal A, for maintenance of the fleet of aircraft based there, he said.

TSA shifted some officers from Terminals C and B to Terminal A, due to the United flight moves, Farbstein said. However, officers who shifted to Terminal A from other terminals needed to be trained on the new security equipment, she said. That limited them, but they performed other “important tasks that did not require that they be certified on the new security technology,” she said.

“When you combine the challenges at the checkpoints with higher (passenger) volumes, that created a challenge,” Lawrence said. “The volumes became challenge when there wasn’t enough (security) lanes to work with.”

Security lines in the new terminal were reorganized and Port Authority officials had a conversation with TSA officials about needed resources, Lawrence said.

“They recognized it and brought in resources from across the nation and region,” Lawrence said.

Several TSA officers from other airports and TSA’s deployment force, certified to use the new security equipment, are assisting in Terminal A until more TSA officers at Newark can be trained on the new security technology equipment, Farbstein said.

“As time moves along, more and more officers are being certified on the new equipment, which increases flexibility,” she said.

The security checkpoint wait times on Jan. 18 in Terminal A were improved with an average wait time of approximately 7.6 minutes and the high of 16 minutes for a standard checkpoint, she said. The average wait time in a TSA PreCheck lane on Jan. 18 ranged from 2 minutes to less than 5 minutes for the entire day, she said.

“The TSA rose and handled it well,” Lawrence said. “Those flights are here and they’re working to ramp up as Terminal A goes to the next phase and completes construction.”

That phase II wing adds 12 gates and is scheduled to open later this year, completing the Terminal A build out to 33 gates. That work will require s some demolition of satellite structures between the old and new terminals, Lawrence said.

Problems with Jetways led to some flights unloading being delayed on Jan. 12 and 13. Those issue also were blamed on new landing bridge equipment and staff that was unfamiliar with its operation, Lawrence said.

“It takes time for staff to get familiar … the training took place, it was familiarity,” he said. “As people turn over in airlines, we’re making sure new people are properly trained.”

Lawrence also has experienced the new terminal in a different way, as a traveler catching a flight, he said.

“I flew out and had a good experience,” he said. “We’ll continue on focusing on improvements. We’re in much better shape than we were.”

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