Frequent flyers in and out of New York City, are familiar with the city’s three airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
EWR, though technically in New Jersey, is also closer to some parts of Manhattan than JFK, so some travelers opt to arrive and depart from EWR.
However, starting October 2022, Newark will only be referred to as EWR, and it will lose its NYC code.
According to a memo circulated on Twitter that is reportedly from Lufthansa Group, International Air Transport Association (IATA) has introduced a new standard for ‘multi-airport cities’. A multi-airport city is a one with multiple airports that belong to one city code. NYC is an example.
The memo states that starting October 3, 2022, EWR, along with four other airports worldwide, will have its own city code, and will receive its own pricing structure. Based on the memo, EWR’s own city code is also EWR.
NYC will not include EWR
— CH (@tdh18ny) September 7, 2022
CC @WandrMe @AirlineFlyer @crankyflier pic.twitter.com/phhehWQpKJ
EWR’s new airport code will also affect passengers’ ability to make flight changes without incurring penalty fees. IATA told Travel + Leisure that, currently, many airlines allow flight changes within the same airport code without fees, so passengers can easily switch their ticket from JFK to LGA, for example, at no extra cost. With EWR acquiring a new airport code, though, travelers arriving or departing in EWR may have to pay if they want to change their ticket to another NYC airport.