Newark Liberty International Airport (IATA: EWR, ICAO: KEWR, FAA LID: EWR), originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union County, New Jersey. Located about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of downtown Newark, it is a major gateway to points in Europe, South America, Asia, and Oceania. It is jointly owned by the cities and leased to its operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It is the second-busiest airport in the New York airport system, behind John F. Kennedy International Airport. On August 3, 1927, Newark’s mayor, Thomas Raymond ordered plans for a new airport as people and organizations began calling for a new airport in the area of Newark. Construction began on April 1, 1928. The airport opened on October 1, 1928, as the Newark Metropolitan Airport. It was the first major airport to serve the New York metropolitan area and the first airport in the United States with a paved airstrip.