The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has announced that over 8.7 million travelers are expected to use its airports and vehicular crossings during the peak Thanksgiving travel period from Monday, November 25, to Monday, December 2. This figure represents a record for the Thanksgiving travel period.
The agency anticipates approximately 5.5 million vehicles will cross its bridges and tunnels over the holiday period, mirroring last year's volume. To accommodate this traffic, all ongoing repairs and construction projects at crossings will be suspended from 5 a.m. Wednesday, November 27, to 5 a.m. Monday, December 2.
About 3.2 million passengers are expected to pass through John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, and New York Stewart International airports during the eight-day span. This marks a two percent increase from the previous high recorded in 2023 for this travel period.
Travelers are urged by the Port Authority to plan ahead due to higher passenger volumes and ongoing construction which may result in longer wait times. "All passengers on domestic flights should arrive at least two hours in advance of their departure time," stated the advisory, adding that international flight passengers should arrive three hours early.
At John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), travelers are advised of potential delays or reroutes due to construction associated with a $19 billion redevelopment project underway at JFK airport terminals.
For those traveling via air or roadways during this busy time, additional travel time is strongly recommended by the Port Authority along with using public transit whenever possible.
In terms of parking management at Newark Liberty International Airport and others like LaGuardia Airport and JFK itself, travelers are encouraged to pre-book parking spaces if they intend on driving themselves there as unreserved spots might incur extra charges or be unavailable altogether.
Additional changes include adjustments in PATH train services where trains will run on modified schedules on Thanksgiving Day itself while some station closures for maintenance purposes resume post-holiday weekend.
