The airport is owned by the city of Newark and controlled by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Newark opened on October 1, 1928 as the first major airport in the metropolitan area and rapidly became the world's busiest commercial airport.

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is owned by the City of Newark, but it is operated under a long-term lease by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). The City of Newark first opened the airport in 1928, making it the first major airport in the New York metropolitan area. However, following World War II, the Port Authority took over the management of the facility to integrate it into a regional transportation network that includes JFK and LaGuardia airports. The current lease between the City and the Port Authority is set to run through 2050, with the Port Authority paying the City millions of dollars in annual rent and investing billions in infrastructure, such as the massive new Terminal A that opened recently. While the City of Newark retains the title to the land, the Port Authority is responsible for all day-to-day operations, security, and the ongoing multi-billion dollar "EWR Vision Plan" aimed at modernizing the terminals and the AirTrain system to maintain its status as a major global gateway.