Top 10 Shortest Direct Flights From Newark Liberty International Airport 

Newark Liberty International Airport is known to be one of the biggest airports in the northeastern part of the United States. It is home to several of the longest international flights in the world.

Have you ever wondered what are the shortest flights you can fly from Newark Liberty International Airport?

We did the research and came up with a top 10 list of the shortest available flights from Newark Airport. 

This list will walk you through the distance of each flight, what airline offers the flight, the aircraft it uses on this route, and much more.

1. Newark to Philadelphia

Airlines: United Express (GoJet Airlines)

Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ700

Direct Mileage: 81 miles direct

The shortest flight currently offered out of Newark Liberty International Airport is to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The distance between Newark and Philly is only 81 miles. Ironically, both airports are located right off I-95 and are approximately an hour’s worth of driving away from each other.

This flight is probably offered due to Newark’s proximity to New York City and Philadelphia also being a large business city. Expect to find business executives flying this route on quick business trips to perhaps avoid the traffic associated with driving into each city.

2. Newark to Wilkes Barre/Scranton

Airlines: United Express (GoJet Airlines)

Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ700

Direct Mileage: 93 miles direct

The second shortest route offered from Newark is a flight to Wilkes Barre/Scranton also located in Pennsylvania. This trip is only 93 miles meaning it’s a sub-hour flight. 

Wilkes Barre/Scranton is a little bit of a pain to get to. It’s located right in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. This destination probably has a higher demand in the winter months due to Wilkes Barre’s location relative to major snow resorts in the Pocano Mountains. 

People wanting to experience these resorts, especially from Northeastern states might fly into Newark and connect on a flight to Wilkes Barre to get them closer to the ski resorts. Your other option would be to fly direct to Wilkes Barre which does have nationwide service, or utilize Philadelphia International Airport.

3. Newark to Harrisburg

Airlines: United Express (Republic Airways)

Aircraft: Embraer E175

Direct Mileage: 140 miles direct

The third shortest flight from Newark is a route to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is the state capital. This trip spans a distance of 140 miles directly. 

Harrisburg is conveniently located in the middle of Pennsylvania. There are really no other airports that accept passenger service to the middle region of the state. 

If you are visiting relatives who live in this area, flying into Harrisburg would be your best shot to avoid lots of driving. Pittsburgh International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport are both found on extreme ends of the state. That would mean any alternative other than Harrisburg International Airport would require a drive.

4. Newark to Albany

Airlines: United Express (Republic Airways)

Aircraft: Embraer E170 or Embraer E175

Direct Mileage: 144 miles direct

Albany, New York is found only 144 direct miles away from Newark. Albany is the state capital of New York. 

The drive between Albany and the Greater New York City Metro Area takes about 4 hours without running into any traffic issues. The flight between Newark and Albany takes no more than an hour from gate to gate.

The reason that United Express runs this route is probably to control the market share between Albany and the tri-state area. The only other flight between New York City and Albany is operated from New York-LaGuardia Airport on a Delta Connection flight. This is probably United’s bid against Delta to have some skin in the game on this particular routing. 

5. Newark to Ithaca

Airlines: United Express (GoJet Airlines)

Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ700

Direct Mileage: 171 miles direct

Ithaca, New York is found in the Finger Lake region of the state. This is another location that is a pain to get to by driving. Drives can potentially take 5+ hours due to navigating around mountains and lakes. 

This route is most popular in the fall. Ithaca is a major college destination in New York. Ithaca is home to Ithaca College, and Cornell University, and is not too far away from SUNY Cortland. Ithaca and Cortland rival each other and each year participate in Cortaca, which is a football game between both college teams that shuts down the city.

All of these colleges have a large contingent of students from downstate or Long Island. You can probably expect this flight to be packed on weekends when parents come up to visit their students. 

6. Newark to State College

Airlines: United Express (GoJet Airlines)

Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ700

Direct Mileage: 193 miles direct

Another location in the middle of Pennslyvania made the list at number 6. State College, PA is found 20 miles away from Harrisburg. Just like Ithaca, State College is a major college town (as you probably can guess by the name). State College is home to Penn State University.

The route from Newark to State College probably serves a similar purpose as the one to Ithaca. Students wanting to come home during winter break or parents wanting to visit during the weekend most likely utilize this route the most. 

Also, it might serve people trying to catch a Penn State football game as the team is in the BIG-10 conference. Penn State plays host to premier programs such as Michigan and Michigan State.

There is virtually no competition on this route for United Express. The only other relatively competitive route would be American Eagle’s Philadelphia-State College route.

7. Newark to Syracuse

Airlines: United Airlines, United Express (Republic Airways, GoJet Airlines)

Aircraft: Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Embraer E175,Bombardier CRJ700

Direct Mileage: 194 miles direct

The flight from Newark to Syracuse, New York is the seventh shortest flight offered. This location is found in Central New York and can take 6 hours by car to reach traveling from the New York City Area.

Syracuse also has a large university that may attract students and parents to travel to and from this destination. Syracuse University has a premier football and basketball program that alumni will fly into for games.

There is quite a bit of competition on this route. Delta Connections utilizes JFK Airport and LaGuardia Airport as their departure airports to Syracuse. Flying out of Newark is United’s bid to remain competitive in the Syracuse market.

8. Newark to Boston

Airlines: United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, United Express (Republic Airways)

Aircraft: Embraer E175, Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Boeing 737

Direct Mileage: 200 miles direct

The route between Newark and Boston is probably the most frequented route on this list. It has the most amount of airlines flying this route from Newark. Also, the number of flights to Boston per day is more than any other destination on this list. 

Boston is located 200 miles away from Newark. However, in between there is lots of traffic that someone needs to navigate by car. That means a quick trip to Boston can potentially take hours.

Just like the route to Philadelphia, the main purpose of this route could be for business. Boston is a major center of business in the Northeast. 

Also, Boston-Logan International Airport is a major connection airport for International flights abroad. It’s one of the larger airports in the Northeast but geographically closer to Europe than Newark or JFK airport. Some airlines opt to put the bulk of the international flights to depart from Boston. 

9. Newark to Burlington VT

Airlines: United, United Express (GoJet Airlines, Republic Airways)

Aircraft: Airbus A319, Bombardier CRJ700, Embraer E175

Direct Mileage: 267 miles direct

Burlington is a major city located in Vermont. Vermont in the winter months is a highly frequented destination for people to hit the ski slopes. 

The distance between Newark and Burlington is roughly 267 miles. That equates to about a 6-hour drive. However, due to inclement weather that drive can be a lot longer.

This route probably does better during the winter months versus the summer months. United Airlines also has this route to remain competitive with JetBlue and Delta. JetBlue and Delta have flights going to Burlington, Vermont from JFK Airport.

10. Newark to Buffalo

Airlines: United, United Express (GoJet Airlines, Republic Airways)

Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ700,Embraer E175,Boeing 737, AirbusA320

Direct Mileage: 282 miles direct

Buffalo is located in Western New York and is a popular city for visitors to seek out. It’s 282 miles away from Newark however a trip by car can take 8+ hours. 

The Newark-Buffalo route has a business demand however the leisure demand probably generates more revenue. Buffalo is very close to Niagara Falls. The city is also host to the popular Buffalo Bills football team which has a cult following to the point that fans have been known to take over away team stadiums. 

Sources

https://www.flightaware.com/live/airport/KEWR

https://www.flightconnections.com/route-map-united-airlines-ua

https://www.flightconnections.com/route-map-jetblue-b6