100 millionth passenger arrives at JFK

Many of us cannot even count to 100 million, but the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey did just that when Liang Chen touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday, December 20.
Officially the 100 millionth air passenger of 2006, Chen's arrival set a record combined passenger count for the region’s three major airports - JFK, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia - making it the first time in their history that the number has been reached.
According to the Port Authority, no other airport system in the country has ever handled as many passengers.
&#8220For nearly 60 years, Kennedy Airport has been the premier U.S. international gateway, welcoming hundreds of millions of travelers from virtually every country in the world, including this year's 100 millionth passenger at our airports,” said Port Authority vice chairman Charles A. Gargano. &#8220As the Port Authority celebrates [this] historic milestone, we also reaffirm our commitment as stewards of JFK and our other airports, recognizing their importance to the region's economy, particularly our travel and tourism industry.”
To celebrate the milestone, Chen was lavished with many gifts including:
•Two round-trip airline tickets from Cathay Pacific to return to New York;
•Hotel accommodations at the Marriott Marquis;
• Tickets to a New York Mets baseball game;
•Free passes and book from the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City;
•A $100 gift certificate from Tavern on the Green;
•Tickets to a Broadway show;
•Free admission and a &#8220Signers of the Constitution” silk tie from the King Manor Museum;
•Free passes, a bag and book from the Alley Pond Environmental Center, and
•Free tickets to a concert at Flushing Town Hall.
By year's end, the Port Authority airports are expected to handle nearly 104 million passengers, up from 99.8 million in 2005.