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Starting Tuesday, October 10, folks riding the JFK AirTrain will finally be able to use the OMNY tap-and-go contactless payment system that was installed in every subway station almost three years ago. What took so long? We don't know, but we're glad we've finally reached this milestone.
In her announcement yesterday, Governor Kathy Hochul explained that, as part of phase one of the project, officials will set up OMNY at specific gates at the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations. According to an official press release, the contactless readers will be “fully integrated into all fare gates.” by the end of 2024.
“In September subway and bus customers tapped more than 2 million times on a single day, and now they’ll be able to use OMNY at the AirTrain JFK for much quicker passenger flow to and from the airport,” said MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber in an official statement. “Whether you’re headed to catch a plane or returning home to New York, AirTrain riders can now take full advantage of this time-saving and seamless way to travel in the city.”
The news follows this past summer's launch of OMNY on the Roosevelt Island Tramway, which is actually the first non-MTA-operated service to make use of the platform.
Overall, New Yorkers have been fans of the MetroCard replacements since they were first installed back in 2020—and for good reason. Instead of spending time looking for a card in our always too-packed bags and swiping it, we can now simply tap the phone that's always in our hands on a screen and move on with our day. Perhaps, officials will soon decide to implement the system on the Long Island Rail Road next?