Newark Liberty International Airport lost its status as a New York City airport on Monday in a move that could affect flight costs for travelers.
The International Air Transport Association revoked Newark’s classification as an NYC airport after changing the city codes for some of its multiairport cities. Although Newark is technically in New Jersey, it was one of three airports with an NYC classification. The other two are LaGuardia International Airport and the John F. Kennedy International Airport, both of which are in Queens.
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“The primary way this change could impact travelers is by limiting their options to freely change flights,” Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, told Travel + Leisure. “Currently, many airlines allow travelers to switch flights within a city code — say, from arriving in JFK to arriving in LGA — without a penalty. Removing EWR from the NYC city code would restrict that option for many passengers.”
Newark, which was New York City’s first major airport when it opened in 1928, will now be classified with the airport code of EWG on all travel boards, but travelers looking to fly to New York will still see Newark as an option.
The new classification will also place the airport under a new pricing structure, according to an internal memo from Lufthansa, meaning flying in and out of Newark could have a different cost than the other NYC airports. But it remains unclear how much these travel costs will be affected.
State Sen. Joe Cyran claimed that the Newark airport is part of the New York City metropolis, pointing out that the New York Jets and the New York Giants both share a stadium in New Jersey.
“Of course it’s a New York City airport. It’s a regional economy,” Cyran told the Wall Street Journal.
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Other multiairport cities within the United States including Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco are not affected by the change so far.
