Aviation in New York City

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An Air India 747 arrives at JFK, with El Al Israel and Swiss International jets at Terminal 4. JFK is the largest entry point for international arrivals to the United States.
An Air India 747 arrives at JFK, with El Al Israel and Swiss International jets at Terminal 4. JFK is the largest entry point for international arrivals to the United States.

New York City is the top international air passenger gateway to the United States.[1] 100 million travelers used the city's airports in 2005; New York is the busiest air gateway in the nation.[2]

The city is served by three major airports, JFK International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and La Guardia Airport. JFK and Newark are connected to regional rail systems by light rail service.[3] 100 million travelers used New York's airports in 2005 as the city surpassed Chicago to become the busiest air gateway in the nation.[4] JFK and Newark's outbound international travel accounted for nearly a quarter of all U.S. travelers who went overseas in 2004.[5]

Contents

[edit] History

The first airport in the city (developed to lure business away from Newark) was Floyd Bennett Field, now an historic, recreational, and sporting area and part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, in turn part of the National Park System (NPS). The New York City Police Department leases facilities for their helicopter operations from the NPS there.

[edit] John F. Kennedy International Airport

JFK is the major entry point for international arrivals in the United States and is the largest international air freight gateway in the nation by value of shipments.[6] About 100 airlines from more than 50 countries operate direct flights to JFK. The JFK-London Heathrow route is the leading U.S. international airport pair with over 2.9 million passengers in 2000.[7] Other top international destinations from JFK are Paris, Frankfurt, and Tokyo.[7] The airport is located along Jamaica Bay near Howard Beach, Queens.

[edit] Newark Liberty International Airport

Newark was the first major airport serving New York City and is the fifth busiest international air gateway to the United States.[1] Amelia Earhart dedicated the Newark Airport Administration Building in 1935, which was North America's first commercial airline terminal. In 2003, Newark became the terminus of the world's longest non-stop scheduled airline route, Continental's service to Hong Kong. In 2004, Singapore Airlines broke Continental's record by starting direct 18-hour flights to Singapore. The airport is located in Newark, New Jersey, about 12 miles west of downtown Manhattan.

[edit] LaGuardia Airport

Main article: Laguardia Airport

LaGuardia, the smallest of New York's primary airports, handles domestic flights. It is named for Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the city's great Depression-era mayor known as a reformist and strong supporter of the New Deal. A perimeter rule prohibits incoming and outgoing flights that exceed 1,500 miles (2,400 km) except on Saturdays, when the ban is lifted, and to Denver, which has a grandfathered exemption. As a result, most transcontinental and international flights use JFK and Newark.[8] The airport is located in northern Queens about 6 miles from downtown Manhattan.

[edit] Teterboro Airport

Main article: Teterboro Airport

Teterboro Airport is a general aviation "reliever" airport located in the Boroughs of Teterboro, Moonachie, and Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, New Jersey[1]. It is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The airport is 12 miles (19 km) from midtown Manhattan in the New Jersey Meadowlands, which makes it very popular for private and corporate aircraft.

[edit] Essex County Airport

Main article: Essex County Airport

Essex County Airport is a popular general aviation airport for aircraft traveling to New York City and northern New Jersey. The airport has completed a big list of new projects including new hangers, high intensity pilot controlled lighting, PAPI, Rwy 22 repaved and restripped, and many more upgrades to operational status. Future projects for the airport have been yet to be released by airport officals. Essex County Airport stands to be a primary entry point for VLJ traffic. The airport is the nearest field to NYC with a runway of 4,553 ft with minimal jet traffic, and no commercial traffic. A direct link to transit makes it the perfect choice for jets traveling to the New York City area, without the delays of larger airports.

[edit] Other aviation

New York is also served by several smaller airports in its suburban areas. Long Island MacArthur Airport is about forty-five minutes east of New York, and is the New York airport of choice for Southwest Airlines. Westchester County Airport, located about thirty minutes north of New York in White Plains, is sometimes favored by New York travellers because it is significantly smaller and thus less busy than the three major airports. It has recently become the airport of choice for AirTran Airways. Further to the north is Stewart International Airport.

Teterboro Airport, located in Bergen County, New Jersey, and Republic Airport, in East Farmingdale, New York, are New York City's primary general aviation airports. The first airport in the city was Floyd Bennett Field, now an historic, recreational, and sporting area part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, in turn part of the National Park System (NPS). The New York City Police Department leases facilities for their helicopter operations from the NPS there.

Manhattan has three public heliports. The Downtown Manhattan Heliport, located at the eastern end of Wall Street on Pier 6, on the East River, was the first heliport in the United States to be certified for scheduled passenger helicopter service by the Federal Aviation Administration. The heliport is the normal landing spot for President George W. Bush on visits to New York. The soundproof terminal contains gift shops, administrative offices, a VIP lounge and general passenger waiting area, as well as X-ray and bomb-detection machines at a security checkpoint. U.S. Helicopter operates regularly scheduled flights to JFK Airport. The flights last less than 10 minutes and cost $159 each way. Two other terminals are the East 34th Street Heliport, which consists of a terminal building and fuel filling station and averages 20,000 take-offs and landings each year, and the West 30th Street Heliport. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the West 30th Street Heliport can see as much as three times the traffic of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport during peak travel periods. There is also seaplane service at the 23rd Street Skyport located on the East River.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Table 10: Top 20 U.S. Gateways for Nonstop International Air Travel: 1990, 1995, and 2000. U.S. International Travel and Transportation Trends, BTS02-03. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation (2002). Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
  2. ^ The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. "2005 Annual Airport Traffic Report", 2006-11-02. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
  3. ^ See AirTrain JFK and AirTrain Newark.
  4. ^ Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation. [1]
  5. ^ Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation.[2]
  6. ^ Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation. "America's Freight Transportation Gateways", 2004. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
  7. ^ a b Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation. "U.S. International Travel and Transportation Trends, BTS02-03", 2002. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
  8. ^ The New York Sun. "Long Distance at La Guardia", 2005-08-05. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.