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Port Authority of NY & NJ (U.S.)

by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 12 June 2001

Description of the flag
Variant with smaller arms

See also:

Description of the flag

The flag is essentially the NY and NJ flags impaled, NY to the hoist, NJ to the fly. They differ from the state flags in that the seals are on white circles; the background colors (blue NY, buff NJ) are the same. In addition, the white circles on which the seals lay were surrounded by a rope; as the seals were not centered on their respective fields but rather touched each other at the center line, the rope formed a figure eight, clear at the meeting point. Perhaps the rope was related to the concept of a "port" authority, i.e., shipping?
Al Kirsch and Nathan Lamm, 14 September 2001

The flag of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Kennedy, LaGuardia , Teterboro and Newark Liberty airports as well as the actual seaport facilities and the notorious Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. Probably a few other things as well--I think maybe some of the bridges and tunnels. The dark yellow circles around the coats of arms are actually circles of rope.
Joe McMillan, 13 October 1999

The New Jersey arms should be on a buff background, not yellow. The circular item around the arms is a gold rope in a figure eight shape. It flies at the Newark NJ Airport as well as at marine installations throughout the Port area and on bridges and at tunnels.
Dave Martucci, 13 October 1999

The World Trade Center was owned by the Port Authority of NY/NJ and flew the authority's flag out front.
Al Kirsch, 14 September 2001

The Port Authority webpage has links to the Inspector General, an image of an inspector badge with the coat of arms in the same figure-eight pattern shown in the current image.
David R. Boyce, 14 August 2003

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey owns, among other properties, the land that the World Trade Center stood on. Many of its police officers were killed on September 11th. It also runs the Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square. Passing it yesterday, I notice four flagpoles on top. From left to right, they flew the US, New York state, New Jersey, and Port Authority flags. Below the US flag was a smaller POW-MIA flag. Below the Port Authority flag- and the same size as the other four- was a white flag with a picture of the Twin Towers in black, and a ribbon (or flag) in front of them. In any event, there have been many 9-11 commemorative flags, as the latest NAVA bulletin shows, and this one isn't particularly remarkable, but I think it's interesting as it comes closest to being "official," actually flown by a government agency- and the one responsible for Ground Zero.
Nathan Lamm, 11 May 2005

The same flag actually does fly at Ground Zero, as well. The flag features a flying American flag (A flag on a flag!) superimposed on a grey (not black, at least as far as I can tell) stylized bird's-eye view representation of Towers 1 and 2, all on a white bedsheet.
Thorsten, 18 May 2005

A very clear photo at Flickr.com shows beyond doubt that it is one continuous coil. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyputman/18476820/sizes/o/. Note the shading difference between the fly side and hoist side halves of the rope- I'm sure that is not real, merely an effect caused by backlighting through the buff field as opposed to the dark blue field.
Ned Smith, 14 May 2008

Variant with smaller arms

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 November 2007

In the "The Times Herald-Record", 2 November 2007, Judy Rife reported on the hoisting of the flag of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey over the Stewart International Airport, "signifying new ownership". A colour photograph by Jeff Goulding shows the flag; the overall design of the flag matches the image shown above, but the two coats of arms are much smaller on the real flag.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071102/NEWS/711020323
Ivan Sache, 10 November 2007

Does the rope really make a true figure-eight, or are there two adjoining circles of rope? The photos of the flag are not conclusive but on the badge they are clearly two circles.
Ned Smith, 11 November 2007

I have seen the PANYNJ flag numerous times, and the size of the arms in this picture is definitely an outlier- they are always much larger. Also, the badge has the two circles not touching, while they always touch on the flag; although it is hard to tell if it is actually a figure eight, I think it is meant to be (otherwise why have them touch?).
Nathan Lamm, 11 November 2007