Newark Liberty International Airport has long been a difficult airport to love, which leads me to revisit a question I asked last year: was the federal government’s forced capacity discipline actually a blessing for United Airlines and its passengers? One year later, I’d say the answer is a definite yes.
But something appears to have changed. United Airlines is now touting that Newark Liberty International Airport leads all major Northeast airports in on-time performance so far in 2026, a remarkable turnaround for an airport that was mired in operational chaos not long ago.
According to United, Newark has outperformed New York JFK, LaGuardia, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington National for on-time flights this year. United also says it achieved its best-ever on-time performance at Newark in April and May while flying nearly 5.8 million passengers through the airport.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
