New York’s LaGuardia Airport: From ‘Third World’ to Best U.S. Airport
by Daniel McCarthy
Terminal B at LaGuardia. Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com
New York City’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which was called a “third world” airport by both a former president and the current one, is the new top airport in the U.S.
Forbes Travel Guide named LaGuardia the best airport in the U.S. on Tuesday as part of its inaugural luxury air travel awards. 5,000 luxury travel experts, including travel advisors, voted on the awards.
LaGuardia’s honor recognizes the progress that came with the airport’s $8 million renovation that began in 2016. That renovation touched every part of the airport, including the installation of terminal bridges connecting buildings, better roadway connections, and a brand-new departures hall with floor-to-ceiling windows and new retail and food options.
The renovation, per the award, made LaGuardia a world-class airport, something that New York’s Port Authority, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, specifically cited as the goal when announcing those renovations.
In a statement on Tuesday, Cuomo called the award “a testament to the men and women in my admin that oversaw LaGuardia’s $8 billion transformation under difficult circumstances, in record time and on budget.”
“Together, we showed that performance & vision can be actualized by competent government,” he added.
Next up for New York is a renovation of its other major airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which is in the midst of its own $19 billion transformation. Earlier this year, travelers got a glimpse of what they can expect at JFK’s New Terminal One, which will open in 2026.
The terminal will be the largest one at JFK, taking the space of Terminal 1, the shuttered Terminal 2, and the former Terminal 3. For comparison, it will be nearly the same size as both of LaGuardia’s terminals combined.
Aside from best airports, Forbes also recognized a slate of other winners, including:
- Best International Airport: Emirates
- Best U.S. Airline: Delta Air Lines
- Best Small Airline: La Compagnie
- Best Jet: NetJets
- Best First Class: Emirates
