By Rachel Chang
March 22, 2024
The first time I traveled through Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A last year, I felt like I had stepped into the future. In the place of static wayfinding signs, digital screens guided me through the concourse, where outdated gate areas were replaced with sleek, light-filled spaces. Passengers lounged on wooden plank recliners instead of squatting on the floor, with devices plugged in to countless outlets (that actually worked). Heck, at one point, I even spotted a robot helping bus dishes inside the United Club lounge.
Ever since I moved to the New York City area two decades ago, being tasked with flying out of New Jersey airport was nothing but a groan-worthy endeavor. But after the $2.7 billion terminal made its debut in January 2023, that age-old reputation has not just been shattered, but also sealed with a prestigious five-star rating from Skytrax, in an announcement made on Tuesday.
“We set out to raise the bar with Terminal A, from its soaring architecture to its streamlined design to its engaging local art,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said in a statement shared with Condé Nast Traveler. He added that the stellar evaluation from the aviation industry’s preeminent rating organization shows they’ve reached that goal “giving New Jersey a magnificent gateway that is taking its rightful place among the world’s best.”
Terminal A joins just two other US airports with five-star status: the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and Terminal B at neighboring LaGuardia Airport, which received its own reputation-shattering accolades last week.
Serving 15 million passengers in its inaugural year, Newark's one million-square-foot Terminal A replaced the former one that had been in use since 1973, and was designed to only serve 9 million. Every aspect of the airport process has been streamlined, starting with the four lanes for curbside drop-offs and pick-ups. Once inside, passengers have access to more than 60 self-service kiosks and 16 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lanes before heading to one of 33 gates or 4 lounges. A sensory room, featuring a mock stream and forest, Himalayan salt slabs, and even fish tanks, was added in December for passengers seeking a calming space. (Our transportation editor recently sought refuge here after missing a flight—the peaceful stimuli were much appreciated mid-freak out.)
While the facilities are impressive, what really packs the most punch is the experience itself. Just a few years back, my typical Newark experience was going down a singular dank and tight corridor with the choice of one food stand, a convenience shop, and a generic eatery. The gates were clustered together so tightly, I’d usually end up huddling into a corner of the corridor to wait for my flight, sitting on the icky, tattered industrial carpeting.
Now when I’m lucky enough to score a Terminal A flight, the drudgery of EWR has turned into a delight. A massive screen stretching across the security area lures me in with colorful—and somewhat cheeky—graphics reading, “New Jersey Welcomes You to Terminal A.” Inside the terminal, more massive screens, some playfully hung a bit wayward, showcase elements of local New Jersey heritage and cultural diversity.
Strolling through, all the airport retail staples are there, including Tumi, Boss, Mac, and Kiehl’s, but I was most excited to see shops for some of my favorite brands like Herschel and sustainable clothing brand Tentree, which doesn’t have actual brick-and-mortar shops. In another section, a line of storefronts with uniform neon white cursive signage houses outposts local favorites, like Tonnie’s Minis from Newark and my personal obsession, Bang Cookies, from Jersey City. (Trust me, you’ll never have chocolate chip cookies from anywhere else again!) I was also thrilled to see a location of Aussie-style coffee chain Bluestone Lane.
At my gate, digital panels animated the flight's destination. Whimsical artificial trees, slightly Dr. Seuss-like, decorated the area, invoking images of the cherry trees in Newark's nearby Branch Brook Park, one of my favorite spots in Jersey. (Fun fact: There are more cherry trees in the park than in Washington D.C.)
As a United loyalist, I also ventured up to the United Club near Gate A27, which opened last summer. The 15,000-square foot area seats 300 passengers, with a buffet, bar, and wellness room, surrounded by local art. Located on the second floor, the lounge floats just before the main terminal, creating an elevated airy feeling.
Perhaps the terminal's most fun recent addition is a Children's Lending Library, which opened last month and is curated by a local fifth grader Sia Malhotra. The 11-year-old also runs Lets Read Today, the organization that helps supply the free library with books in order to help make reading more accessible.
With all of these features and more, it's clear why Terminal A’s trophy shelf is quickly growing. In just over a year, the airport concourse had already earned a 2023 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Prix Versailles Special Prize for the terminal’s exterior, as well as being named 2023 Project of the Year by New Jersey’s American Society of Civil Engineers. The terminal also received LEED gold certification from the US Green Building Council.
But the newest honor comes with an extra dose of prestige. “This rating from Skytrax puts Newark’s Terminal A in rarified air,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said in a statement. “We’re delivering world-class facilities that befit this world-class region, and we’re proud to add this Skytrax rating as the latest validation of our effort.”
A total of 23 five-star Skytrax ratings have been awarded to airports around the world: 12 to hub airports, 7 to regional ones, and 4 to specific terminals. Major international airports to have received the award include hubs in Doha Hamad, Haikou Meilan, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Munich, Rome Fiumicino, Seoul Incheon, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shenzhen Bao’an, Singapore Changi, Tokyo Haneda, and Tokyo Narita.