Newark Liberty now offers new sensory room to help travelers de-stress before flights
A new sensory room in Newark International Liberty Airport is geared toward passengers with special needs, but anyone feeling overwhelmed can use it
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Navigating traffic at the airport can be stressful during the holidays, especially for those with special needs. Newark Liberty International Airport is now offering a solution that will hopefully bring some calm to the chaos all year round.
A new sensory room in the airport is geared toward passengers with special needs, but anyone feeling overwhelmed can use it. The room offers a place to sit, several fish tanks and calming water bubbles. It's a place to escape the hustle and bustle of airport traffic before hitting the skies.
Christopher Perez, the assistant chief of operations, told News 12, “We really want to make sure it’s a safe space for those in need of that function, but a passenger can come in and decompress. We see it all the time.”
The sensory room is located in the new Terminal A at the Departures side on the third level. It is directly across from airline check-in. The room has a back corridor where passengers with special needs and their families can safely exit with no traffic. Through 'TSA Cares' they can arrange for trained TSA officers to help them through the security process.
Passengers can enter the sensory room at their leisure any day of the week between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. For use outside of normal business hours, travelers will need to call the number posted near the door. Support is available 24/7.
Perez says in 2024 they plan to install another sensory room post-security. He says it’ll be larger and have more features to help passengers relieve their stress.
