Effective next month, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) will no longer be considered a New York City airport. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade organization of the world’s airlines, will begin removing the ‘NYC’ city code from Newark Liberty on October 3rd.
Despite being regarded as a New York City-area airport for years, Newark will be acknowledged as its own entity starting October 3rd. At least that’s what will happen according to a Lufthansa document circulating on Twitter and citing IATA. The memo states that the International Air Transport Association has “introduced a new standard for Multi-Airport Cities,” which are metropolitan areas with several airports that share a single IATA city code.
NYC will not include EWR
CC @WandrMe @AirlineFlyer @crankyflier pic.twitter.com/phhehWQpKJ— CH (@tdh18ny) September 7, 2022
How this could affect passengers
According to the Lufthansa memo, changing your route from Newark to JFK or JFK to Newark may result in a pricing modification.
The code change will significantly impact travelers. That’s because it implies Newark will have a different pricing structure than New York City’s other major airports, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy. Furthermore, depending on the airline, travelers who want to transfer a trip from Newark to another airport may have to pay steep penalties.
Many airlines now allow travelers to change flights within a city code without penalty. If a flight is delayed or canceled in the United States, certain airlines may rebook passengers within a 100-mile radius of their origin/destination. We’ll have to see if the code change will impact that.
Despite the fact that each airport in the New York metropolitan area has its own airport code (such as EWR, JFK, or LGA), they are all listed under the city code NYC throughout the area. Newark will, however, be given its very own city code as part of the new IATA standard when it goes into effect on October 3rd and takes the place of the city code for New York City.
NYC Airports
The New York City metropolitan area is unusual because it contains multiple international airports. Other cities with multiple airports include Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and London. Of the three major airports serving the New York metropolitan area, two are located in the state of New York. EWR Airport is, however, in the neighboring state of New Jersey. Despite its location in New Jersey, this airport is located closer to parts of Manhattan than any of the New York airports.
John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) is the largest and handles the broader global traffic of the three. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) serves as a hub for a few airlines and largely serves domestic traffic with a few foreign flights. Then there is Newark Liberty International Airport, which is usually congested. Because United Airlines has a big hub in Newark Airport, it handles several international flights. Outside of United, few international carriers operate at EWR.
How significant will the real changes be for travelers after October 3rd? We’ll probably have to wait till the end of October to understand the impact the change will have on passengers.
Amidst all these changes, the one thing that will not change is your guaranteed EWR parking spot, thanks to Way.com.
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