Megaplex Cross-linking of Airports System (MCAS)

The Port Authority of New York-New Jersey (PANYNJ) operates a network of four airports (John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and Stewart) that serve everyone within a 60-mile radius region from downtown Manhattan. The growing passenger demand calls for an increase in future coordination of aircraft movements in the nearly saturated hub airports in this region. This study evaluates the alternative of integrating the cluster of airports being operated in the New York and New Jersey region into a virtual airport hub. A new, inter-airport transportation system could provide the PANYNJ airports the flexibility to act like different terminals of one huge airport located around the NY-NJ region. Currently passengers who need to commute between the clusters of airports in New York City with connecting flights are faced with delay issues due to the congestion on the roads. This study looks at efficient transit opportunities for passengers within this virtual hub via rail and helicopter transit modes. MCAS is evaluated against the current system using a multi-attribute utility function to identify its utility.