Newark Liberty International Airport will reopen a runway on Monday that had been under construction and contributed to its recent chaos, as United Airlines (UAL-0.79%) looks to win back customers who began avoiding the beleaguered airport altogether.
Runway 4L-22R is reopening 13 days early after “around-the-clock work” accelerated its project schedule, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The $121 million project began in early March and required a full 24/7 runway closure that started on April 15 and was set to conclude on June 15.
The work caused delays and disruptions, exacerbated by serious air traffic controller issues still plaguing the facility. Many controllers took leave after twice losing contact with planes out of Newark, forcing airlines to cancel and delay thousands of flights.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy posted on X that his department “will continue our work to harden the telecoms infrastructure and improve the staffing pipeline for the airspace” now that the runway is fixed.
United, which has a hub in Newark, was hit the hardest by the chaos at the airport. Its CEO Scott Kirby said the airline lost innumerable bookings amid the disruptions and that the company is going to slash prices to try to convince customers to go back to Newark.
A ticket price is “going to be the cheapest it’s probably ever going to be in history,” he told the Wall Street Journal during a live event. “I don’t really like that, but you ought to book.”
Kirby said Thursday that many passengers had chosen to go to the other major airports in the region, John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia in New York City, instead.
But customers who want to fly United out of JFK will soon have an easier time. The company also announced Thursday that it is partnering with JetBlue (JBLU+3.23%), allowing customers to book JetBlue flights out of JFK through United.
“This collaboration with United is a bold step forward for the industry — one that brings together two customer-focused airlines to deliver more choices for travelers and value across our networks,” JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said in a news release.
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