Tour the future flagship terminal currently under construction at Newark airport, part of a $2.7 redevelopment of the tri-state travel hub

• The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is spending $2.7 billion to revamp Newark Liberty International Airport after years of decay.
• A brand-new terminal to replace Terminal A is slated to open in late-2021, offering passengers a “world-class” experience.
• Business Insider toured the future site of the terminal to see just how the Port Authority is planning to live up to that promise.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport is just the tip of the aviation iceberg for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Across Manhattan from LaGuardia and its $5.1 billion overhaul is Newark Liberty International, another airport in the Port Authority’s purview in the midst of a multi-billion-dollar redevelopment. On the airport’s southwestern perimeter away from the main terminal complex sits the future site of a brand-new terminal that is slowly but surely nearing completion.

Terminal 1 is just the start of the $2.7 billion redevelopment that aims to upgrade New Jersey’s primary international gateway. The 33-gate structure will replace the airport’s Terminal A which, much like LaGuardia’s Terminal B, had fallen below standards for an airport of Newark’s importance and contributes to its poor perception among visitors.

Construction has been underway for just under two years, though the coronavirus pandemic had slightly delayed its completion, now estimated for late-2021. When the pandemic struck the Port Authority – including its executive director, Rick Cotton, who contracted the virus in March – the Newark project was among those that had to be adjusted to account for the implementation of needed safety features.

Business Insider was given a sneak peek during a tour with Cotton and other officials.

Take a look inside what will soon become Terminal 1 at Newark Liberty International Airport.

---

Newark Liberty International is the second-largest passenger airport in the Port Authority's system, acting as a main international gateway for the tri-state region along with John F. Kennedy International.

---

The new Terminal 1 will replace Terminal A, one of the airport's oldest terminals along with Terminal B. Both opened in 1973 and were revolutionary for Newark, at the time.

Source: New York Times

---

After nearly 50 years of operation, however, the terminals have become outdated and "sub-standard," according to Cotton, spurring the $2.7 billion replacement with Terminal 1 as the first step.

---

The Port Authority broke ground on Terminal 1 in October 2018, building the new structure just beyond the existing Terminal A. Here's what it looks like just under two years later.

Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

---

Its location in a largely unused section of the airport meant that its design wouldn't be hindered by the excessive space constraints that affected the redevelopment of LaGuardia.

---

In just over a year, passengers will begin utilizing the space as Terminal A is demolished.

---

After walking through what will become one of the vestibules for the departure level...

---

They'll arrive here, in what will become the departures hall.

---

That's after being dropped off along the new four-lane roadway or EWR AirTrain that will connect to the terminal.

---

Located on the very top floor, all airline check-in counters will be housed on one departure level, unlike the other terminals which have check-in counters on multiple floors.

---

Here's what the check-in area will look like when completed.

---

Only renderings are available but a site map for the terminal shows a similar arrangement to what developers did at LaGuardia, using a pier system for check-in desks.

Read More: I flew out of the new LaGuardia Airport terminal 2 weeks after it opened and couldn't believe it was the same airport I hated. Here's what it was like.

---

Natural light will illuminate the top floor and other areas of the terminal thanks to floor to ceiling windows and skylights covering the structure.

---

Terminal 1 will have three levels consisting of a departures level, arrivals level, and a concourse level.

---

Unlike the new LaGuardia terminal and some other terminals at Newark, passengers flow in one direction: downward. From the departures level to the concourse level and then from the concourse level to the arrivals level.

---

The departures area will have built-in safety features like plexiglass partitions and also house numerous multi-airline self-check-in kiosks to help speed up the check-in process.

---

Behind the check-in area on the same level will be the security checkpoint housing 18 screening lanes. Here's the space it will occupy.

---

One checkpoint will serve the entire terminal, making connections between concourses easier than with Terminal A or B, which have individual checkpoints for each concourse.

---

Additional space has also been allotted for a "re-composure area," where passengers can stop to assemble themselves after going through a security screening that typically requires the removal of shoes, belts, jackets, etc.

---

Immediately after the screening, passengers will then be greeted with this view of the terminal's mid-section where all three concourse meet.

---

A balcony will also overlook the terminal's centerpiece which is still yet-to-be-determined, though renderings show an art installation of sorts.

---

Across from the balcony are two elevated areas that will house airline lounges, with space for at least four. Shops and eateries will be located underneath.

---

Yet-to-be-installed escalator and elevator banks on each end of the balcony then bring passengers down to the concourse level.

---

Natural light will similarly beam into the mid-section thanks to more floor to ceiling windows on each side and skylights above.

---

Any preconception of Newark Liberty International being cramped or closed-in will be immediately disproven by the amount of open space and high windows that will be common in the terminal.

---

Terminal 1 is configured in a reverse T-shape across three piers: north, south, and east. All piers emanate from the triangular mid-section.

---

The long, straight concourses are a far cry from the old, spherical concourses of Terminal A and B.

---

Lining them will be digital signage, similar to the ones in use at LaGuardia, guiding passengers to their gates or other areas of interest in the terminal.

---

The terminal will have 33 gates in total, each capable of housing Group III aircraft like the Airbus A321 and Boeing 737-900.

---

All the gates will be common-use so that airlines can use them interchangeably.

---

The East Pier will have the most gates of any with 17 in total on three sides.

---

Though the mid-section will only house four gates, they will arguably be the best gates as they're the closest to check-in and baggage claim.

---

The North and South Piers will have six gates each and offer shorter walks from check-in and baggage claim.

---

But the Port Authority estimates that no gate will be longer than a five-minute walk from the security checkpoint.

---

At the end of the East Pier is the hammerhead, a three-sided section lined with eight gates.

---

The section will feature extensive seating areas and can house the largest aircraft serving the terminal.

---

Hammerhead areas also typically feature additional shops and eateries for passengers thanks to the large amount of open space.

---

Passengers will also have direct views of Lower Manhattan from here on clear days.

---

And another large skylight also provides light for the area.

---

Though some gates are close together, the common-use arrangement will allow airlines to be flexible with assignments and move flights to different gates.

---

The Port Authority wouldn't say which airline will be the first tenant in the new terminal but airlines currently using the current Terminal A are likely to be among the first to make the move.

---

Terminal A's current occupants include American Airlines...

---

Air Canada...

---

JetBlue Airways...

---

Southwest Airlines...

---

And Alaska Airlines...

---

As well as some United Airlines flights.

---

With no Federal Inspection Station, only domestic and pre-cleared international arrivals will be allowed to use the terminal so Air Canada and Aer Lingus will be the only international airlines allowed to arrive and depart from here.

---

The Port Authority is aiming to have local New Jersey flavor in the terminal and that includes bringing in eateries that are well-known in the state, though no specific names were mentioned.

---

"There's no place where we will abide any compromise in quality," Cotton said. "It is a first-class, world-standard facility."

---

The terminal will be opened in phases with 21 of the 33 gates opening first and the final 12 opening in 2022.

---

Construction on the terminal was only slightly delayed due to the pandemic, with the Port Authority now expecting an opening in the fourth quarter of 2021 instead of the third quarter.

---

Terminal A will likely not get to experience its 50th birthday as its replacement is scheduled to be completed well before then and demolition can begin on its predecessor.