NEWS |
133-99: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE , November 17, 1999
In an important milestone that will help ease delays, Port Authority Chairman Lewis M. Eisenberg announced completion of a project to lengthen one of Newark Airport's main runways by 2,800 feet. The runway, 4L-22R, will become the primary airstrip for departures from Newark Airport, Chairman Eisenberg said. This will free the airport's parallel runway, 4R-22L, to be used primarily for arrivals - eliminating the need to waste time by alternating takeoffs and landings on 4R-22L. And pilots will no longer have to cross 4L-22R to reach a longer runway.
The extension of runway 4L-22R and other projects, including more taxiway space and a new air traffic control tower with state-of-the-art equipment, are expected to reduce aircraft delays on the ground by at least 15 percent, Chairman Eisenberg said. Chairman Eisenberg also announced a new service helping passengers obtain federal statistics about flight delays from the Port Authority's Web site.
At a press briefing today at Newark Airport, Port Authority officials offered an update on the $3.8 billion in public-private investments, which include:
--> $395 million to improve parking. The Port Authority is about to award a contract to build a 6-level parking garage across from Monorail Station E - one of two garages that will create 6,600 new parking spaces at Newark Airport by 2002. The other garage is being built adjacent to Terminal C. The agency is considering a third garage adjacent to Terminal A.
--> $415 million for a 1-mile extension from the airport's existing Monorail system to the Northeast Corridor rail lines, connecting to trains operated by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. Service linking Newark Airport to the Northeast Corridor is scheduled to begin in 2001. The Port Authority has begun erecting guideway for the extension.
--> $480 million on road improvements that will speed traffic to and from Exit 13A of the New Jersey Turnpike, expand the capacity of the main entrance and exit ramps, and provide direct access to the parking lots near the passenger terminals.
--> $800 million for Continental Airlines' Global Gateway Program, which will make major improvements in and around Terminal C - such as a third concourse with 12 widebody aircraft gates, a new baggage handling system, a 20,000-square-foot Presidents Club and a new Customs and Immigration area. The airline is adding 600,000 square feet to the existing 1 million-square-foot terminal building, and renovating more than 250,000 square feet of the existing terminal.
--> $37 million to improve restaurant and retail options at all three of the airport's passenger terminals. As part of Newark Airport's customer-convenience campaign, retail development experts BAA Newark, Inc., and Westfield Concession Management, Inc, and airport tenants are spending $37 million to build and renovate more than 130,000 square feet of dining and shopping space.
"From airspace to parking spaces to cyberspace, our mission is to make sure the Newark Airport part of the travel experience is as smooth, efficient and pleasant as possible," Chairman Eisenberg said. "This partnership, which combines investment by the Port Authority, airlines and private developers, will provide the finest customer service available without spending any state or local tax dollars."
Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Ronald Shiftan, who led today's press briefing, emphasized the convenient service travelers will enjoy when the Monorail extension is completed.
"The Monorail link to the Northeast Corridor will make travel to Newark International Airport significantly easier for passengers across New Jersey and throughout the region," Mr. Shiftan said. "Even travelers who live outside the region will be able to take Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains, then connect to the Monorail to reach Newark International Airport and take advantage of the airport's unparalleled service."
But these changes are not enough, Port Authority officials warned. The agency has called on the Federal Aviation Administration to take several steps to combat flight delays - such as installing modern air traffic control equipment, accelerating the schedule for redesigning the region's airspace, and changing the method of reporting delays to provide travelers more meaningful information.
"Aircraft delays are rapidly becoming intolerable," Port Authority Executive Director Robert E. Boyle wrote in a recent letter to FAA Administrator Jane F. Garvey. "I am grateful for the steps the FAA has taken thus far to address this problem. ... But, I am appealing to you for the FAA to do even more."
To provide travelers with easier access to information about flight delays, the Port Authority announced today that a new service will soon be added to the agency's Web site - a "hyper link" that will connect visitors directly to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report, which includes some information about flight delays.
Newark International Airport welcomed a record 32.6 million passengers in 1998. The airport's large passenger market enables it to provide frequent flights to numerous destinations with highly competitive air fares, and offer flights to cities not served by many other U.S. airports. Travelers can choose from more than 50 carriers serving the airport.