The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that the third quarter activity levels at the agency’s transportation facilities continued to show the dramatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Port Authority airports, PATH train, and tunnels and bridges reported significantly lower volumes in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year. Following domestic and international travel restrictions first implemented in March and global production shutdowns, the Port Authority had previously reported record declines in volume across its facilities during the second quarter of 2020.
For the third quarter of 2020, from July through September, total combined passenger volumes at John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia airports were down an estimated 84 percent compared to the third quarter of 2019.
The most recent figures available were reported at the Port Authority’s Board Meeting on October 29, 2020:
- Based on the week of October 19, 2020 to October 23, 2020, passenger volumes at Port Authority airports for that week were down by 77 percent compared to the October 2019 weekday average, based on TSA checkpoint entries.
- The dearth of travelers obviously does not simply affect the Airlines bottom line. As part of the collateral damage, airport management agencies, airport vendors, airport hotels and other retail firms in and around the airport are also in a financial no-mans land.
