Memorial Day weekend is now nine days away — and for travelers flying through JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark, the next ten days are the calm before everything resets. The Newark AirTrain weekday shutdown is on its scheduled wind-down, JFK Terminal 6’s first phase has settled into operation, and JFK’s brand-new Terminal One is in its final stretch before opening its first 13 gates in June. Here is what is actually changing this week — and what to do about it before the holiday crush hits.
Newark Liberty (EWR): AirTrain Weekday Shutdown Enters Its Final Days
Since January 15, 2026, Newark Liberty’s AirTrain has been replaced by Port Authority shuttle buses every weekday from 5:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. as part of the $3.5 billion AirTrain Newark Replacement Program. That weekday shutdown is on its way out: the Port Authority has committed to restoring full weekday AirTrain service in late May, ahead of Memorial Day weekend, with normal access expected to hold through Labor Day so summer travelers do not have to plan around it.
For this week’s flights, treat EWR like you have all winter: if your flight boards before noon and you are taking NJ Transit or Amtrak to Newark Airport Station, you will still be on the shuttle bus. Build in 15–20 extra minutes to clear the bus transfer and get to your terminal. Weekend trips run on full AirTrain service already.
JFK: Terminal 6 Is Open. Terminal One Is Three Weeks Out.
JFK Terminal 6’s first phase opened earlier this month and is now operating its initial gates as part of the $4.2 billion redevelopment. The terminal is physically connected to Terminal 5 and brings 10 modern gates — nine of them widebody-capable — to JFK’s north side. Carriers expected to call Terminal 6 home over the rollout include Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, JetBlue, Condor, Air Canada, Aer Lingus, ANA, SWISS, Avianca, Norse Atlantic, Frontier, and several others. If you have a ticket on any of these airlines for a flight after early June, double-check your terminal on the airline app the day before you fly — terminal assignments are still shifting.
The bigger event is one week behind that. JFK’s new Terminal One is scheduled to open its first 13 gates in June 2026. The 2.6-million-square-foot facility will eventually house Air France, Korean Air, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, China Airlines, and several other international carriers currently scattered across JFK’s older terminals. Memorial Day weekend travelers will not yet fly through Terminal One — but anyone with a June international trip booked should expect a terminal-change email from their airline in the next two to three weeks.
LaGuardia: Quiet, and That’s the News
LaGuardia’s post-renovation Terminals B and C are running smoothly this month with no posted long-term construction disruptions for late-spring travelers. The long-promised AirTrain LaGuardia rail link remains canceled (formally killed in 2023). The official replacement is the LGA Link Q70 bus, which connects to the 7 train and LIRR at Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue. With the 7 train’s Manhattan-bound Queens skip-stop running through Friday, May 22, give yourself a 10-minute buffer if you are connecting from Manhattan to LGA via the 7 this week — and remember that the 7 will be fully suspended between 74 St–Broadway and 34 St–Hudson Yards over Memorial Day weekend (May 22–25), so any LGA travel that weekend will need a backup plan.
Memorial Day Travel Prep — What to Lock In Now
Nine days out, this is what NYC travelers should do this week, before prices and lines both spike:
- Confirm your terminal in your airline’s app the day before you fly. JFK Terminal 6 assignments are mid-rollout — that boarding pass from January may have the wrong terminal printed on it.
- Allow an extra 30 minutes at JFK and EWR over Memorial Day weekend. Both airports are running near record summer-eve volumes, and AirTrain Newark’s full return is a recent shift that traveling crowds are not yet used to.
- If you are flying out of LGA, do not rely on the 7 train alone on Saturday May 23 or Sunday May 24. The full 7 train shutdown between Queens and Hudson Yards runs that weekend. Plan on either the M60-SBS from Manhattan, a rideshare, or an early LIRR connection to the LGA Link.
- Sign up for TSA PreCheck or CLEAR if you haven’t already. Wait times at JFK and LGA have been stable in recent weeks — but Memorial Day Sunday is historically a different story.
Commuter Tip
For Friday flights out of EWR, leave from Penn Station an extra 20 minutes early this week. The AirTrain weekday shutdown is still in effect through “late May” — and “late May” is not a specific date the Port Authority has published yet. Build buffer. Once the AirTrain is fully back, normal NJ Transit/Amtrak-to-AirTrain timing returns through Labor Day.
Ground Transportation Status This Week
Quick reference for getting to and from each airport right now:
- JFK: AirTrain JFK operating normally. LIRR via Jamaica is the fastest from Manhattan during rush hour. Subway via the A or E to Howard Beach or Sutphin Blvd–Archer Av still works at $2.90.
- LGA: LGA Link Q70-SBS bus from Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Av (7 train, with caveats above). M60-SBS from Manhattan via 125 St. Rideshare from Midtown is 20–40 minutes.
- EWR: NJ Transit and Amtrak to Newark Airport Station, then Port Authority shuttle bus to terminals (weekdays 5 a.m.–3 p.m.); AirTrain runs other hours. Full weekday AirTrain expected to return before Memorial Day.
The next ten days are the last “easy” travel window before the official start of summer. Use them.
Official sources: Port Authority of NY & NJ Airports | JFK Airport | EWR Airport | LaGuardia Airport
