You’ve probably traveled into or out of Newark Airport, but do you know about its history? Our EWR Airport parking company shares some of the key things that have happened over the years:
The Newark Liberty International Airport first opened on October 1st, 1928 under the name Newark Metropolitan Airport. It was built on 68 acres of marshland and its very first terminal, the Art Deco Administration Building, was built in 1934. For 11 years, Newark was the only airport to serve the New York area and was considered the busiest commercial airport in the world – that is, until LaGuardia Airport opened in Queens in 1939.
Once World War II began, Newark Airport was taken over by the Army for logistics operations and was closed to commercial flights, which helped LaGuardia grow in popularity. When Newark reopened in 1946, it wasn’t long before the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey took control of it.
The Port Authority immediately began making improvements to Newark by adding an instrument runway, a second terminal building, a control tower, and an air cargo center. By the 1970s, roadways, taxiways, and a third terminal were built. In addition, construction on a fourth terminal started and the airport’s name was changed to Newark International Airport. Expansion continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s and the airport was fitted with a monorail system (which connected the Newark Airport parking, its terminals, and rental car facilities), an International Arrivals Facility, and a two-building maintenance complex.
On September 11th, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 left from Newark Airport and was headed for San Francisco when hijackers took control of the plane. Their intended target was believed to be Washington D.C. and the plane’s 40 passengers decided to try to regain control of the plane. It crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 passengers and the four hijackers. In 2002, Newark International Airport became Newark Liberty International Airport both to honor Flight 93 and to pay tribute to the Statue of Liberty, which sits seven miles east of the airport.
Today, Newark Airport is the third-largest hub for United Airlines and handles more than 30 million passengers every year. Together with LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport, Newark helps create the largest airport system in the U.S. and the largest in the world when it comes to total flight operations.
If you’re flying out of Newark, don’t forget that our family-owned EWR Airport parking facility is close-by, convenient, and very affordable. Give us a try today!
