Airport Terminals

What’s Inside The New Terminal A at Newark Liberty Int’l Airport (EWR)

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We haven’t been there in person just yet. But we’re delighted to see the photos the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey is sharing of the new $2.7-billion terminal Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

The new terminal replaces the old Terminal A which first opened in 1973 and features fresh passenger amenities, impressive artwork, digital technology, and more than 60 regional dining and retail outlets representing national, global, and local brands.

Stretching out over more than one million square feet, the new Terminal A at EWR has 33 gates, and common-use check-in, security, and baggage claim areas built to easily handle an estimated 13.6 million passengers a year. Flights for Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Jet Blue and United Airlines will operate out of this terminal.

The seating areas are diverse and inviting. And the kid’s play areas look like so much fun.

Fresh Art in Terminal A at Newark Liberty Int’l Airport

And then there’s all the art. The work of 29 local artists is included in the terminal, with two major pieces serving as permanent anchor installations.

Karyn Olivier’s aluminum and stainless steel work, titled Approach, is made of up two 50-foot suspended sculptures that celebrate flight with different views of Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey in daytime and at night.

Between the Future Past, a mural by Layqa Nuna Yawar, celebrates the diversity of Newark, New Jersey, and the New York metropolitan area.

Photo by Zack DeZon, Courtesy Public Art Fund NY

More details to come once we get in there and walk the terminal from one end to the other.

(All photos courtesy Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, except where noted).

Airports not giving up on Twitter just yet

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Hundreds of airports around the world use Twitter as one of their tools to share news and updates with the public.

The social media site is in flux (to say the least) at the moment. But for now, it’s still a great way to find out at a glance what some of our favorite airports are up to.

On Monday, for example, we learned:

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has installed a cool, new eyeglass-cleaning machine;

Miami International Airport (MIA) has a new art exhibit;

Santa is scheduled to stop in at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) on November 26;

Tampa Executive Airport (VDF) hosted a cool fly-in;

Two former Detroit Red Wings spent time at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) signing hockey pucks and meeting fans;

An oh-so-cute member airport therapy dog posed for harvest-time photos at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX);

And, as part of its 60th anniversary year, Dulles International Airport (IAD), reminded us of the mobile lounges that were used to transport passengers between the terminals and their planes.

Orlando Int’l Airport’s new Terminal C

Airport Terminals

Orlando International Airport (MCO) will officially open its new 15-gate, $2.8 billion Terminal 3 later this month. The first flights are set to take off beginning on September 20.

The Stuck at the Airport new terminal team will make its way to MCO soon. But in the meantime, here are some photos and information about what’s in store.

Airlines flying out of the new Terminal 3 at Orlando Int’l Airport

Confirmed airlines that will operate out of the new terminal include Aer Lingus, Azul, British Airways, Caribbean, Emirates, Gol, Icelandair, JetBlue, Lufthansa, and Norse.

What’s inside the new Terminal 3 at Orlando Int’l Airport

The Terminal features a skylight-capped Boulevard that connects ticketing, security, concessions, gates, and baggage claim.

Public art in the new Terminal C and Orlando International Airport will include a variety of giant digital canvases by Gentilhomme Studio.

Windows on Orlando, above, is a triptych of 32-feet-tall displays spanning 110 feet. Content includes a rocket launch sequence filmed in the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center and an afternoon ride under open skies with cowhands rounding up cattle.

The Moment Vault is an interactive 360-degree digital experience located in the Palm Court section of the terminal. The installation uses digital technology that allows travelers to interact with 23 different scenes that range from schools of bioluminescent fish to a trip to the surface of Mars.

The Portal, still to be completed in the arrivals hall, will be three stories high, with 32 custom curved screens suspended in a helical frame. 26 scenes will tell the story of the transformation of Central Florida from natural springs and ranchlands to the dawn of Disney and the launch into space exploration.

Shops and dining at the new Terminal 3 at Orlando Int’l Airport

 Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld will be represented among the dozen retail locations. And among the two dozen food and beverage outlets will be Shake Shack and Orange County Brewers.

Stay tuned for more photos and details about what the new Terminal 3 at Orlando International Airport (MCO) has in store.

2 airports are finalists for America’s Best Restroom

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The list of the top 10 finalists for the 2022 America’s Best Restroom contest is out.

And this year restrooms at two airports are in the running to be crowned as the best throne in the country.

Newark Liberty Int’l Airport (EWR)

The Terminal B all-gender restroom at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is one of the airport restrooms nominated as an excellent example of how businesses develop and maintain innovative restroom facilities.

EWR’s new loo is in a 1970’s-era terminal departure lounge. The loo’s creative, gender-neutral design offers “potty parity” and means that more users can be accommodated than with a traditional restroom design.

The restroom includes areas for traveling companions to wait and for passengers to reorganize their belongings. Local imagery on the glass and tile establishes a sense of place. And sound and scent help create a calming environment.

Tampa International Airport (TPA)

The nominated restrooms at Tampa International Airport (TPA) are on Airside C.

These loos welcome travelers to a uniquely Florida experience with large graphics. A natural, deep blue stone with undulating veining is intended to be reminiscent of waves crashing along the shore.

“Once inside, large format tiles skin the floors and seamlessly fold up the walls, bolstering the well-lit environment and furthering a ‘freshly cleaned’ aesthetic,” the restroom nomination explains. “A wood-look wall tile adds warmth and softness for a balanced, resort-like feel.”

The vanities in these restrooms also offer TPA’s signature “cockpit” concept, which gives each guest their own sensor-activating sink and soap, personal paper towel dispensers, and a nearby trash receptacle.

The other nominated public bathrooms on this Best Restroom list include the self-cleaning restrooms at North Hollywood Recreation Center; prohibition-themed restrooms in Stone Mountain, GA; and a Japanese pub in Orlando, FL modeled after the green restroom seen in “The Aviator” film.

Here’s the image from the movie:

Here’s a snap from Orlando’s Tori Tori pub.

The public is invited to vote for their favorite finalist through August 31 here.

Which is your favorite?

Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l Airport debuts its eighth new concourse

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Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) begins welcoming passengers at a new concourse today.

The new, state-of-the-art, eight-gate concourse will be used soley by Southwest Airlines. Amenities include charging stations in every seat, an Animal Relief Area, a Family Restroom and a Nursing Room. Hearing loop connectivity allows those with hearing devices to connect to the PA system.

For now, passengers will find kiosks offering food, beverage, and retail items. Shops, restaurants, and a Chase Sapphire Lounge by the Club are set to open in the coming months.

Local favorites Pedal Haus Brewery and Berry Divine – Acai Bowls will be in the new concourse as well as regional concepts Bobby’s Burgers, Eegee’s and others.

Retail shops will include national brands as well as local products from Changing Hands Bookstores, Made Art Boutique, and Melrose Pharmacy.

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The new concourse also showcases the arts and includes a terrific-looking terrazzo floor depicting aerial views of the Phoenix landscape. 28 terrazzo wall pieces are shaped like airplane windows.

The work is called “Phoenix Lights, Phoenix Rising” and is designed by artist Susan Logoreci.