Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A has been awarded a 5-star rating by Skytrax, a renowned aviation industry ratings firm. This prestigious award is considered the air travel equivalent of winning an Academy Award or receiving a Michelin star.
Only two other airport terminals in North America have received this rating, including LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, which received the Skytrax rating in March 2023. The new Terminal A replaced a 50-year-old terminal that lacked modern security standards and sufficient screening space.
“This five-star airport terminal rating is a fabulous achievement for Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport,” said Edward Plaisted, Skytrax CEO. “Terminal A provides an excellent range of passenger facilities, easy customer wayfinding, excellent signage, and high standards of staff service.”
The terminal features outstanding multimedia features that offer a unique and differentiating factor. Skytrax awards ratings on a scale of one to five after an audit, considering factors such as passenger facilities, staff service, and front-line service standards.
“This rating from Skytrax puts Newark’s Terminal A in rarified air,” said Rick Cotton, Port Authority Executive Director. “Skytrax has awarded five stars to just three airports or airport terminals in North America, and our facilities account for two of them.”
The terminal has already seen significant usage, with 15 million passengers in its first year of operation, 5 million more than the terminal it replaced. Additionally, three airline lounges have opened, and a fourth premium lounge is scheduled to open in 2026.
The new 1 million square foot terminal has also won a 2023 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Prix Versailles Special Prize for its exterior design.
“This stellar evaluation from the aviation industry’s preeminent rating organization proves we’ve accomplished exactly that, giving New Jersey a magnificent gateway that is taking its rightful place among the world’s best,” said Kevin O’Toole, Port Authority board of commissioners chairman.