NJ Infrastructure > Infrastructure by Category > Aviation

Infrastructure by Category:
Aviation (Grade D)

Introduction
New Jersey's airports are victims of their own success due to the increase in passenger service over the past 10 years. The capacity of our existing airports to handle the current and projected volumes is critical to the quality of air service in New Jersey. Our airports currently cannot handle the next generation of jet airliners. The Airbus A380 will require widened runways, taxiways and special docking equipment for the plane, which has a wingspan almost the length of an American football field. In addition, the modernization of the radar based air traffic control system is warranted to improve capacity of our current airports. This report is prorated to account for volume disparities between the larger and smaller airports serving New Jersey. Although there are numerous airports in our neighboring states, this report is limited to the larger airports located within New Jersey.

Data and Assessments
As stated above, various criteria are utilized in assessing the rating of aviation in New Jersey. Different weighting has been assigned to each of the criteria in order to develop a representative measure for this conditions report. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) accommodates approximately 96% of the volume of New Jersey airports that handle jet airliner traffic. Teterboro Airport (TEB) and Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) account for 3.5% of the remaining volume with a small fraction being distributed to Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Trenton Mercer Airport (TTN) and Essex County Airport (CDW). Because of the volume disparity between EWR and the remaining airports, the findings are weighted heavily toward the largest airport.

Air travel and traffic have rebounded regionally to pre-September 11, 2001 levels and are projected to grow 4.3% annually through 2015. Currently EWR ranks first in the nation as the most delayed airport for arrivals. EWR also ranks third in the nation for the most delayed airport for departures . With the anticipated projections of air travel growth, the lack of available land to expand the current facility and the current delays experienced, a crisis situation is developing as demand outpaces capacity.

Modernization of the air traffic control system from a radar based system to a satellite based system could improve efficiencies within the network, but this would only provide short term relief of the over congestion of the existing facilities. Recently the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has voted to buy the lease to the former Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, N.Y. (Stewart International Airport - SWF) with the plan to adapt the airport to expand its commercial flight capacity. This could produce relief from the overall metropolitan area congestion, but since this airport is located more than 60 miles away from Newark Airport, only a relatively small fraction of the NJ population would benefit. This would only occur after upgrades and commercialization of the airport took place. In addition, Atlantic City Airport (112 miles away from Newark Airport and 58 miles from Philadelphia International Airport) has taken some of the increasing volume burden as it has seen a rise in passenger service of over 40 percent from a period a year ago.

Our existing airports do not have the ability to handle existing and projected volumes of passenger air traffic. Newark Airport is essentially land-locked preventing expansion and no improvements can be made for bad weather operations unless the FAA reduces the runway-to-runway separation standard. Dedicated user fees and trust funds are needed to finance infrastructure needs. Short and long term modernization and planning is required in order to mitigate the adverse effects of overcrowding of New Jersey's airports.

What is needed?
Most of the funding for aviation comes from the federal level. As such, nationally the following actions are needed that will have a positive impact on the state of aviation throughout the country including New Jersey:

Conclusion
Since September 11, 2001, there have been numerous state-of-the-art enhancements to our nation's airports. These improvements may be seen as an inconvenience to some passengers, but most people are willing to comply with the security protocol as a concession to the way our changing world must confront the possibility of future assaults upon our way of life.

The functionality on New Jersey's airports is a difficult issue to confront. New Jersey's largest airport (Newark - EWR) processes passengers as efficiently and effectively as any of its large airport counterparts. But, as with any mode of transportation, once the capacity of the facility is reached, delays and overburdening of the system are encountered. Plans to reduce the burden include the utilization of Stewart International Airport for increased area passenger service.

The ASCE grading system considered two factors: 1) Functionality (ability to handle current and projected volumes) and 2) Safety. Grades were based on the following scale:

A = 90 - 100%
B = 80 - 89%
C = 70 - 79%
D = 41 - 69%
F = 40% or lower

Due to the very poor track record with delays of arriving and departing flights, a substandard rating has been assigned. Plans are in place to relieve some of the capacity issues which are encouraging, but more long term strategic planning and investments are needed to improve our current situation. Based on the data and discussion presented here, ASCE assigns a Grade of D to New Jersey Aviation.

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