States, the second-largest in the world in terms of passenger traffic and largest in the world in terms of total flight operations. In 2022 Newark Airport served 43 million passengers, JFK served 55 million, and LaGuardia served 29 million. History From the 1920s, Newark, New Jersey, was the site of two airfields – Heller Field, which opened in 1919, and Hadley Field, which opened in 1924 – used by the United States airmail service. In May 1921, Heller Field was closed and all air mail services moved to Hadley Field, which by 1927 also served four airlines. The US Postal Service, however, desired to have an airfield closer to New York City. In 1927, people and organizations both national and local in scope began calling for a new airport in the area of Newark, including Newark's mayor, Thomas Raymond. On August 3, 1927, Raymond ordered plans for a new airport. Construction, estimated to cost $6 million (), began on April 1, 1928, along US Route 1 and Port Newark. The construction involved a land reclamation project to create of level ground, above sea level to prevent flooding, upon which a runway was laid. In addition to the of earth required for the reclamation, 7,000 Christmas trees and 200 bank safes donated by a local junk vendor were used. The airport opened on October 1, 1928, as the Newark Metropolitan Airport. It was the first major airport to serve the New York metropolitan area, and the first commercial airport in the United States with a paved airstrip. 20th century The first lease for space at Newark Airport was signed by Canadian Colonial Airways in April 1928. The nation's first air traffic control tower and airport weather station opened at Newark in 1930, and it became the first airport to allow nighttime operations after installing runway lights in 1952. The Art Deco style Newark Metropolitan Airport Administration Building, adorned with murals by Arshile Gorky, was built in 1934 and dedicated by Amelia Earhart in 1935. It served as the terminal until the opening of the North Terminal in 1953. Construction of the Brewster Hangar began in 1937 and continued through 1938. This hangar was the most advanced of its time. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is now a museum and Port Authority Police headquarters. Despite this, critics said the airport was poorly designed because