Port Authority approves $200M Terminal B upgrade

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has approved the first piece of a $200 million effort to keep Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal B functioning while a full replacement is planned. On May 20, the agency’s board authorized $75 million in near-term work as the opening phase of a broader three-year program for the 53-year-old terminal. (panynj.gov) The money is part of the Port Authority’s 2026-2035 capital plan and is intended to modernize and maintain Terminal B until a new terminal opens in the mid-2030s. The approval lands as Newark Liberty remains under pressure from heavy passenger volumes and recurring operational strain. Terminal B opened in 1973 and was designed for about 6.8 million annual passengers, but the Port Authority said it handled about 11.5 million passengers in 2025. (panynj.gov) Work is scheduled to begin this year, the agency said. ### How much money was actually approved now? The May 20 board vote covered $75 million, not the full $200 million. The Port Authority described that authorization as the first phase of a three-year, $200 million program already included in its 2026-2035 capital plan. (panynj.gov) The broader $200 million figure refers to interim improvements meant to keep Terminal B usable before the airport gets a replacement building. The Port Authority said the spending is aimed at passenger spaces, aging equipment, customer-facing technology and operational reliability across the terminal and its three satellites. (panynj.gov) ### What will travelers see first inside Terminal B? The Port Authority said the initial work will focus on gate areas, restrooms, elevators and escalators. Chairman Kevin O’Toole said passengers should notice changes “in the seats they wait in, the restrooms they use, and the systems that move them through the terminal.” (panynj.gov) Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said the agency was targeting “the things customers encounter on every trip,” including waiting areas and vertical transportation. The Port Authority said the near-term program is meant to improve comfort, reliability, accessibility and the overall passenger experience. (panynj.gov) ### Why is Terminal B getting interim work instead of a full rebuild now? Terminal B has already been marked for replacement under the EWR Vision Plan. In October 2024, the Port Authority board approved funding to begin planning for a new Terminal B, including preliminary design work and infrastructure assessments. (panynj.gov) That earlier action authorized $55 million, combined with remaining funds from an earlier allocation, to start planning for the replacement terminal. The Port Authority said at the time that the new building would replace the current Terminal B as part of a wider redevelopment of Newark Liberty’s terminals, roadways and taxiways. (panynj.gov) ### How crowded is the existing terminal? Terminal B was designed to serve about 6.8 million passengers a year when it opened in 1973. In 2025, the Port Authority said, the terminal handled about 11.5 million passengers. In 2023, the agency had said the same terminal handled about 12.3 million passengers, underscoring the pressure on a facility built for a smaller load. (panynj.gov) New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said the approved upgrades were “an important first step” toward improving the passenger experience at Newark. Her statement was included in the Port Authority’s May 20 release announcing the board action. (panynj.gov) ### What happens next in the redevelopment? The next step is construction on the interim upgrades, which the Port Authority said will begin in 2026. At the same time, planning continues for a new Terminal B that the agency said is expected to open in the mid-2030s as part of the larger Newark Liberty redevelopment. (panynj.gov)