On December 18, 2025, the Port Authority NY & NJ (PANYNJ) reissued a press release announcing the Port Authority Board of Commissioners’ approval of a record $45 billion Capital Plan for 2026-2035. Below is a summary of the plan featuring the segments that pertain to the Aviation and Port Authority Airports sector.
- Port Authority Board of Commissioners approves record $45 Billion Capital Plan for 2026-2035 to advance unprecedented infrastructure renewals across the region, including world-class new bus terminal, airport transformations, and major PATH service increases.
- New investment blueprint builds on the success of the previous Capital Plan that delivered ambitious, acclaimed projects, including A Whole New LaGuardia, recently named Best New Airport in the U.S., Newark Liberty’s Award-Winning Terminal A, and New Goethals and Bayonne Bridges.
- Ambitious Capital Plan funds New Terminal B to anchor a transformed Newark Liberty, new state-of-the-art AirTrain Newark, Completion of JFK’s redevelopment, and critical resiliency investments across the region.
- Historic PATH service improvements approved, including operation of all four lines seven days a week for the first time in 25 Years and major service increases during rush hours, nights, and weekends.
- The Lincoln Tunnel Helix and the Outerbridge Crossing are to receive extensive rehabilitation. The plan also funds the Port Authority’s $2.7 Billion contribution to Gateway Program.
- Funds $100 Million ‘Operation Legal Ride’ harnessing advanced technology, increased enforcement to target predators who harass airport passengers with illegal ride offers.
- Changes to PATH fares, bus tolls, and bus carrier fees to help fund generational overhauls.
- Capital Plan to create more than 50,000 Jobs, including more than 33,000 Union construction jobs in the region.
- Port Authority’s approved $10-billion budget for 2026 dedicates record $1.1-billion to security.
AVIATION
The Port Authority is in the midst of a more than $50-billion wholesale remaking of its three major airports, anchored by historic public-private partnerships in cooperation with airline and development partners. Over the next 10 years, the agency will continue to deliver on its promise to transform its airports from worst to first. Its airports have already redefined world-class standards, with a best-in-class customer experience, inspiring civic architecture, robust public art programs, local concessions offering an unmistakable sense of place, state-of-the-art functionality, and cutting-edge technology. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey airports have been transformed from experiences to be endured into destinations.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
The 2017-2025 Capital Plan achieved an ambitious vision plan and construction to completely transform JFK into a world-class global gateway. Construction began on the plan’s two anchor projects: the $4.2-billion Terminal 6 and the $9.5-billion New Terminal One. A $2-billion expansion at Terminal 4 and Terminal 8 delivered additional gates, new concessions, and world-class customer amenities while consolidating airline operations. Construction also began on the completely redesigned roadway network, with about 70% now complete. More than $15-billion of the $19-billion is privately financed.
The 2026-2035 Capital Plan will drive the delivery of a once-in-a-generation transformation of JFK Airport. The first gates of the world-class international terminals 1 and 6 are set to open in 2026, and further sections of the completely rebuilt, vastly simplified roadway network are set to come online. The plan also calls for designing and completing a transformation of AirTrain JFK with state-of-the-art new train cars to double capacity, alongside new world-class stations. At the central taxi hold lot, a new restaurant will open to serve taxi drivers. The plan also funds preliminary enabling work in the second half of the decade to replace aging terminals and infrastructure and accommodate demand-driven growth, as needed.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
The 2017-2025 Capital Plan achieved major steps toward an entirely new Newark Liberty experience. The stunning, airy, and light-filled $2.7-billion Terminal A opened to acclaim, receiving recognition as the best new airport terminal in the world by Skytrax. The ambitious EWR Vision Plan was established as a roadmap to complete Newark Liberty’s transformation. Construction on a brand-new AirTrain Newark was designed, planned, and launched.
The 2026-2035 Capital Plan will drive the construction of a world-class gateway at Newark Liberty. The plan provides funding for the Port Authority to establish a public-private partnership to design and build a new world-class, light-filled, and inspiring Terminal B. The plan calls for expanding the five-star Terminal A, including design and construction work on additional gates for future growth, a critical step in the EWR Vision Plan. A brand-new, state-of-the-art $3.5-billion AirTrain Newark is currently under construction, improving reliability and capacity. Construction is also set to be completed in 2026 on a new community access point to the Airport Train Station, transforming airport and mass transit access for historically underserved areas of Newark and Elizabeth. The capital plan will also fund a third major taxiway to reduce flight delays and a new, simplified roadway network.
LaGuardia Airport
The 2017-2025 Capital Plan achieved an unprecedented worst-to-first transformation. $8-billion was invested in LaGuardia Airport across two innovative public-private partnerships at Terminal B and Terminal C, transforming the nation’s worst airport into its best with a wholesale world-class rebuild. Both spectacular, reimagined terminals were opened to the public, quickly setting the new standard for U.S. airport infrastructure and winning a series of prestigious international awards.
The 2026-2035 Capital Plan will drive finishing the job to make a vastly improved experience at LaGuardia even better. The plan calls for replacing the 1980s-era gate and boarding areas of Terminal A to meet demand and continued passenger growth.
In consultation with community leaders and historians, the Port Authority will preserve the entire original Marine Air Terminal, including its rotunda and observation decks. The plan also funds a vastly improved fast, free, and frequent LGALink Q70 bus service with a new bus lane on the BQE and a new on-airport bus stop. Work will also be completed on a new taxi hold lot at Terminal B, with amenities including new restrooms and prayer space for drivers.
At All Airports
The 2026-2035 Capital Plan funds “Operation Legal Ride” — a 10-year, $100-million investment to launch a new war on predators who harass airport passengers by offering illegal rides and steal business from hard-working drivers. The taxi community and the Uber-Lyft/for-hire vehicle community are part of the lifeblood of Port Authority airports. The Port Authority is committed to ensuring that airport customers receive transportation offers from only legitimate taxis and for-hire vehicle services.
This public safety initiative, developed in consultation with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), will include new technology tools, such as license plate readers, AI-aided CCTV, and an expanded database of unpermitted drivers, as well as a meaningful enforcement and deterrence strategy aimed at eliminating repeat offenders.
The Port Authority derives most of its funding from a combination of private investments, cost recoveries, revenues from lease activity, and fees. The agency works to maximize revenues from non-toll and non-fare sources, drawing on all available capital resources.
To further support the capital plan’s ambitious agenda, the plan aligns pick-up and drop-off fees for for-hire vehicles and taxis with peer airports.
Technology, Innovation, & Public Comments
The 2026 budget additionally invests in new technology to build a smarter, more connected network that enhances safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Through its employee-driven innovation hub, the agency has launched more than 60 pilots exploring autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, and advanced air mobility. These efforts will expand to integrate cutting-edge tools and data-driven systems into every major project across the agency’s facilities.
The approvals follow a month-long public comment period during which the Port Authority received a total of 402 comments solicited through a variety of channels, including six public hearings at multiple locations across the region. Comments could also be submitted via the Port Authority website or at the Dec. 18 meeting of the Board of Commissioners. Of that number, 261 comments provided feedback on the agency’s proposed tolls and fees. As a result of the 159 comments citing concerns regarding the agency’s planned modifications to airport ground transportation access fees, the Port Authority has modified its proposed schedule for for-hire vehicle fee increases to phase in rather than be instituted via a one-time increase, consistent with the schedule for taxis, toll discounts, and PATH fares.
Additionally, the Port Authority received 111 comments relating to the proposed capital plan. Of those, 12 comments cited concerns about preserving LaGuardia Airport’s historic Marine Air Terminal. To clarify its proposed work at Terminal A, the Port Authority has specified that renovation plans at Terminal A only encompass the 1980s prefabricated concourse that was not part of the original Marine Air Terminal. The Port Authority is committed to preserving the entire original Marine Air Terminal, including its rotunda and observation decks.
Click here for the full text of the December 18, 2025, press release.
