Port Authority Airports Retain Momentum Into 2024 From Record-Breaking 2023

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that the agency’s commercial airports maintained their robust momentum, opening 2024 by recording their second-busiest January of all time. The seaport finished the month as the second busiest in the nation for loaded imports and exports, outpacing overall activity from both January 2023 and pre-pandemic January 2019. Traffic at the agency’s six vehicular crossings continued to achieve strong pre-pandemic volumes, while the PATH commuter railroad achieved its busiest January in four years. 

Airports: 

The Port Authority’s commercial airports opened 2024 with their second-busiest January of all time. It marked a continuation of the strong results seen throughout 2023 that resulted in the airports collectively recording their busiest year ever. 

Approximately 10.4 million passengers were welcomed across the Port Authority’s commercial airports in January 2024. The monthly total was surpassed only by the 10.5 million passengers seen in January 2020. The January 2024 figure was an increase of almost 90,000 passengers from January 2023. The growth was driven by an 11 percent jump in international travel compared to January 2023 as airlines added more international routes. 

January 2024 passenger volume experienced the normal post-holiday decline of about 13 percent compared to December 2023 as the traditionally busy holiday travel period ended. 

Port of New York and New Jersey: 

The Port of New York and New Jersey handled 667,346 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in January 2024. This strong total outpaced port activity in pre-pandemic January 2019 by 7.2 percent and exceeded January 2023 activity by 3.4 percent. January 2024’s volume was also 5.3 percent above December 2023 figures. 

The port was the second busiest in the nation for loaded imports and exports in January 2024, handling 447,514 loaded TEUs. This was 2.6 percent above January 2023 levels. 

PATH: 

The PATH commuter railroad served about 4.1 million passengers in January 2024 as it continued its steady increase in ridership. The figure was a 10 percent increase from January 2023. Compared to December 2023, January volume experienced the normal seasonal decrease of about 2.8 percent, reflecting traditional lower volumes in the month of January, and was 63 percent of January 2019’s total. 

Average weekday ridership in January 2024 was 161,762. The weekday volume was an 11 percent jump from January 2023’s average weekday ridership. 

Tunnels, Bridges and Terminals: 

The agency’s six vehicular crossings served approximately 9.3 million eastbound vehicles in January 2024. This volume continued to hit pre-pandemic levels at the crossings. Usage dropped 4.1 percent from January 2023, when mild weather contributed to unusually high traffic levels.  

January 2024’s average daily volume decreased 10.4 percent compared to December 2023 as the busy holiday travel period ended.