JFK Airport workers are in a frenzy, racing to secure the last remaining MetroCards to access the AirTrain at a discounted rate. The MetroCard, once a staple for airport employees, has become a scarce commodity as the MTA phased out the vinyl swipe cards in favor of its new digital tap-to-pay OMNY system. However, the Port Authority, which manages the city's airports, is lagging behind, leaving airport workers with no other option but to use the old MetroCard to enjoy steep discounts on the expensive JFK Airport fare, which would otherwise cost them $8.50 each way.
The MTA recently shut down its MetroCard vending machines at the Jamaica and Howard Beach AirTrain stations, leaving a handful of newsstands as the only places where airport workers can purchase 30-day MetroCards for the AirTrain, which cost $42.50, or 10-trip cards, which cost $26.50. The Port Authority, however, has no plan to continue offering these discounts, leaving the 40,000 employees at JFK Airport with a daunting prospect of paying $17 a day just to ride the AirTrain to and from work.
"We are working with the MTA to implement JFK AirTrain bulk trip discounts on OMNY that match the current offerings on the MetroCard," Port Authority spokesperson Thomas Pietrykoski stated. "Until that is implemented, the Port Authority has arranged with the MTA to make MetroCards available for Airport employees."
Khan Suhail, who manages a Jamaica station newsstand, has enough 30-day and 10-trip AirTrain MetroCards in stock to last him until March. After that, the future remains uncertain.
Piantonio Ventura, a 42-year-old ground operations employee for JetBlue, commutes from Manhattan to JFK daily. He expressed his frustration with the potential increase in commuting costs, stating, "I can't afford that. No one could afford it, honestly. If you come here every day, you can't afford it. I have to figure out another way to get to work, possibly a bus and then walk. It's ridiculous."
The AirTrain discounts are not limited to airline personnel. Most employees working in airport terminals' shops and restaurants rely on the AirTrain to get to work daily. Jordan Carson, a 36-year-old living in Mott Haven and commuting to the airport for his job at the Hugo Boss duty-free store, echoed the sentiment, "We're not going to pay that. That's too expensive."
The Port Authority's lack of a clear plan has caused confusion, especially given its history of bungling the adoption of the MTA's new OMNY system. In 2023, the Port Authority installed OMNY readers at select AirTrain entry gates, only to discover they were incompatible with the existing system, leaving the gates wide open. This led to a temporary, creative interim OMNY solution, with turnstiles remaining open and security guards ensuring riders don't walk through without paying.
As the Port Authority undergoes a leadership change, with executive director Rick Cotton retiring and Kathryn Garcia taking over, the future of the 30-day unlimited AirTrain pass is uncertain. Transit advocates urge Garcia to address the situation, suggesting it could set a new standard for a 30-day unlimited pass across the city's transit systems. The MTA has already ended its 30-day unlimited pass option with the MetroCard's retirement, now offering only a seven-day pass through the OMNY system.
