Taxis wait to pick up fares at JFK Airport in 2016.

Bryan Katz via Wikimedia Commons

In recent years, travelers have been burdened with a growing number of mandatory fees in order to reach New York and New Jersey airports. And now, the Port Authority has approved yet another increase in the form of doubling the airport access fees for ride-sharing services such as Uber, Lyft, and car services. This decision, which comes just in time for the holiday season, will undoubtedly have a significant impact on travelers’ wallets.

Effective March 15, 2026, the airport access fees for for-hire vehicles (FHVs) will increase from $2. 50 to $5. 00 for both pick-ups and drop-offs. This essentially means that anyone relying on a car service to get to and from the airport will now have to pay a mandatory $10 round-trip fee, in addition to other charges such as congestion pricing, Metropolitan Transportation Authority surcharges, and tolls. For travelers who are already struggling to afford air travel, this latest decision by the Port Authority could push them over the edge.

Interestingly, yellow taxis will continue to pay no fee for airport drop-offs and will only see a modest increase in their pick-up fee, from $1. 75 to $2. 00, with two additional 25-cent increases scheduled for 2027 and 2028. This creates a two-tier system, where those with easy access to taxis will not be affected by the fee hike, while everyone else will have to bear the full brunt of it. This raises concerns about fairness, especially since transportation options are not equally distributed. While riders in Manhattan have multiple options, those in the outer boroughs and suburbs often have no choice but to rely on FHVs, and will now have to pay more simply based on where they live.

Industry advocates and trade organizations have also expressed their concerns about the Port Authority’s decision, stating that it unfairly targets working- and middle-class travelers without a clear explanation as to why certain riders are favored over others. Furthermore, the lack of transparency in the decision-making process has raised even more questions about the fairness of the fees. The University Transportation Research Center, a federally-funded research consortium at City College of New York, has called for a pause in the fee increase until more data is made public. According to the center, airport access fees should be based on actual usage, congestion impacts, and operational costs. Without this data, travelers are essentially being asked to pay more without a clear understanding of why.

In addition to these concerns, there is also the issue of illegal, unlicensed airport operators who continue to operate without paying any fees to the Port Authority. These operators not only pose a safety risk, but they also put legitimate services at a disadvantage by offering cheaper alternatives. As fees for legal services continue to rise, more cost-conscious travelers may be tempted to opt for these unregulated options, further undermining airport revenue.

So, who