MAI TO MANAGE NEWARK LIBERTY’S NEW $2.7 BILLION TERMINAL ONE

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has reached agreement with Munich Airport International (MAI) to operate and maintain the $2.7 billion Terminal One now under construction at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

EWR Terminal One LLC, a 100% owned subsidiary of MAI, will oversee operations, maintenance and concession functions once the terminal’s completed.

Terminal One is replacing the outmoded Terminal A and is scheduled to be fully operational by 2022. The operator also will be making short-term customer enhancements in Terminal A until that terminal is closed.

Munich Airport, operated by MAI’s parent company Flughafen München GmbH (FMG), has been awarded the title ‘Europe’s Best Airport’ in its size categiry by Skytrax, which studies and ranks airports internationally, in 12 of the past 14 years.

In addition to the Newark project, MAI is involved locally with a joint venture (Reach Airports) that will manage the new Terminal One project at John F Kennedy International Airport.

“We wanted to bring a world leader in customer service and concession management to Newark Liberty, and MAI fits the bill,” said PANYNJ chairman, Kevin O’Toole.

“New Jersey travellers deserve world-class service and the brand new Terminal One will improve the travel experience for Garden State residents and visitors while creating new jobs and business opportunities in the region.”

PANYNJ executive director, Rick Cotton, noted: “The Port Authority is committed to moving our airports from back of the pack to best-in-class facility standards and to a level of global best practices that our passengers demand.

“Our partnership with Munich Airport International allows us to deliver on our twin promises of operational excellence and customer service based on global, 21stcentury standards.”

While MAI’s managing director, Dr Ralf Gaffal, enthused:“We look forward to working with the Port Authority on this exciting project, and to bringing world-class operations, services and amenities to the new Terminal One.”

According to PANYNJ, Terminal One will feature cutting-edge digital technology and superior dining and retail options in about one million square feet of space, about 20% larger than Terminal A.

It will accommodate an estimated 13.6 million passengers annually on three levels.

In terms of facilities, the new terminal will have 33 common-use gates – five more than at Terminal A – to handle larger aircraft and modernised check-in, security and baggage claim areas.

Terminal One is the state’s largest design-build project, 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.

In addition to Terminal One, major Port Authority modernisation projects are under way at LaGuardia and John F Kennedy International airports, with the total investment in the three airports at about $28 billion through private and public financing sources.

The $8 billion construction of an entirely new LaGuardia Airport – the first new airport in the U.S. in 25 years – achieved a major milestone with the opening of its first new concourse in Terminal B last December, including light-filled and spacious gate areas, locally inspired dining and retail, and other modern amenities.

Work by Delta Air Lines on a new Terminal C to replace C and D is currently underway and is on schedule to open its first new concourse later this year.

In October 2018, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a $13 billion plan to transform the John F. Kennedy International Airport into a 21st century gateway, starting with two major new international terminals on the airport’s south and north sides that will add more than four million square feet of space and is expected to increase the airport’s capacity by at least 15 million passengers a year.