New York JFK vs Newark vs LaGuardia: Which NYC Airport?

The Three Airports of New York

New York City is served by three major commercial airports that together form one of the world's largest aviation markets. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) handles primarily international long-haul operations and is located 24 kilometres southeast of midtown Manhattan in the Jamaica Bay area of Queens. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) sits in New Jersey, 26 kilometres southwest of midtown, and serves as a major hub for United Airlines as well as a secondary market for international carriers. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is the most centrally located at 13 kilometres east of midtown but handles only domestic and limited Canadian transborder flights, operating under a perimeter rule that prohibits flights beyond 1,500 miles.

The combined three-airport system handled approximately 120 million passengers in 2023, making New York the largest aviation market in the United States by some margin. Despite this volume, the New York airports have historically ranked poorly in passenger satisfaction surveys compared to the national average. Ground transport delays, aging terminal infrastructure (particularly at JFK and the old LGA), and the general congestion of the region's road network have contributed to a widely shared perception that flying in and out of New York is more difficult than it should be given the city's importance.

That perception is beginning to change. LaGuardia's complete Terminal B reconstruction — completed in 2022 for $8 billion — has been widely praised as a model for US airport modernisation. JFK is undergoing a $19 billion terminal replacement programme that will replace its aging Terminal 1 and consolidate terminals 8 and 7 (currently used by British Airways and oneworld partners) into a new unified facility. Newark's Terminal A completed a $3.4 billion redevelopment in 2023. Within five years, all three airports will have substantially newer physical infrastructure than they do today.

JFK: International Gateway

JFK's eight terminals are individually managed by the airlines or consortia that occupy them, creating a fragmented passenger experience that can feel dramatically different depending on which terminal a passenger uses. Terminal 4, managed by JFK International Air Terminal LLC, handles Delta's international operations, the majority of African and Middle Eastern carriers, and several Asian airlines. It is the most comprehensively renovated building at JFK and has a genuine retail and food hall on the mezzanine level above departures that stands out positively from the airport's overall average.

Terminal 8 handles American Airlines and its oneworld partners including British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, and Cathay Pacific. A recent renovation added new gate lounges and an improved food court, and British Airways' Club Lounge in T8 is one of the better carrier lounges at JFK. American Airlines' Admirals Club in T8 expanded its seating capacity in 2023 but remains under-capacitated relative to the volume of passengers using it during peak transatlantic push times.

The AirTrain JFK automated train connects all eight terminals and runs continuously, but the journey from Terminal 1 to Terminal 8 (as an extreme example) takes 15 minutes and requires an AirTrain fare of USD 8.25 per trip. More significantly, the AirTrain connects to the Jamaica Station, where passengers transfer to the LIRR or the A or E subway lines for the final leg into Manhattan. The total journey to midtown by subway — A train to Howard Beach, then A train to 42nd Street — takes approximately 65 minutes and costs USD 9.25 (AirTrain) plus USD 2.90 (subway). By LIRR to Penn Station, the journey is 25 minutes and costs USD 13–17 depending on time of day, for a total ground journey of approximately 40 minutes from gate to Penn Station.

Newark: United's Hub

Newark Liberty handles approximately 46 million passengers annually and operates as the primary hub for United Airlines, which accounts for about 60 percent of all flights at the airport. United's Terminal C, which houses the airline's transcontinental, transatlantic, and transpacific operations, underwent significant renovation between 2019 and 2023, with a new international terminal section featuring elevated dining and an expanded United Club lounge with views across the runway apron.

Newark's location in New Jersey means that legal taxis to Manhattan charge a flat rate of USD 75 plus tolls and tip — typically USD 90–95 total — for the journey to the midtown hotel district. This compares unfavourably with JFK's metered taxi fares (approximately USD 70 flat rate to Manhattan), though the journey time from Newark to midtown can be 20–30 minutes at off-peak times compared to JFK's minimum 45 minutes, making the Newark taxi faster if not cheaper. Ride-hailing via Uber and Lyft is significantly cheaper than taxis from EWR, typically USD 55–75 to midtown depending on demand.

The AirTrain Newark connects the airport terminals to Newark Airport station on NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor rail line. From that station, trains run approximately every 20 minutes to New York Penn Station in midtown Manhattan, taking 25 minutes. The combined AirTrain and train fare is USD 13.00 plus the NJ Transit rail fare of approximately USD 13.75 to Penn Station — total USD 26.75, faster than a taxi at peak hours and significantly cheaper. The last NJ Transit train from Newark Airport station departs at approximately 1:30 a.m., meaning late-night arrivals after the rail cutoff must use taxi or ride-hail.

LaGuardia: The Rebuilt Airport

LaGuardia's new Terminal B, opened between 2019 and 2022, replaced a terminal that had been famously described by Vice President Biden in 2014 as resembling "a third-world country" — a damning but widely agreed assessment. The new building, designed by HOK and Skanska, features a 55-metre-wide sky-lit central atrium, views of Flushing Bay from the gate areas, a food hall with 30 restaurants and shops including New York regional concepts such as Shake Shack and a dedicated New York deli counter, and the first hotel directly connected to any LaGuardia terminal.

LaGuardia has no rail connection — the only major US airport within the perimeter of a major city to lack one. Ground transport is exclusively by taxi, ride-hail, or bus. The M60 SBS bus connects LaGuardia to the 125th Street subway stations (A/B/C/D and 4/5/6 lines) in approximately 30 minutes with no transfer required, for a fare of USD 2.90. The Q70 Select Bus Service connects to the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue subway hub in Queens in approximately 15 minutes. Taxis and ride-hailing services have dedicated pickup zones in each terminal; journey times to midtown vary from 20 minutes at 6 a.m. to 60 minutes or more during afternoon peak traffic on the Grand Central Parkway.