LaGuardia Airport

A decade after then-Vice President Joe Biden compared the airport to a third-world country, and after a $8 billion makeover, LaGuardia Airport is now considered the best airport in the United States. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Tuesday announced that LaGuardia was selected as the best airport in the country by Forbes Travel Guide. The accolade is the latest in a series of achievements earned by the airport after its transformation, which began in 2016 and is now largely complete.
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Transit

Uber launches shuttle between LaGuardia Airport and Midtown

Images courtesy of Uber

October 8, 2024

Uber launches shuttle between LaGuardia Airport and Midtown

Hailing a ride to and from LaGuardia Airport just got cheaper. Uber on Tuesday launched a new $18 shuttle service with two routes connecting Midtown Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport, operating daily every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. Stopping at Port Authority, Grand Central Terminal, and Penn Station, the passenger vans can carry up to 14 passengers with each rider allowed one personal item and one piece of luggage.
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Transit

Magnolia Bakery lands at LaGuardia Airport

Images courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

August 21, 2024

Magnolia Bakery lands at LaGuardia Airport

Flying out of LaGuardia Airport just got sweeter. New York City icon Magnolia Bakery will open at Delta's Terminal C this week, marking the shop's first airport location. Starting Thursday, the bakery will sell its world-famous banana pudding as well as other tasty treats as part of a new food hall in the terminal.
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Food & Dining

Plan for better bus service to LaGuardia Airport rolls forward

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

June 26, 2023

Plan for better bus service to LaGuardia Airport rolls forward

The board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week approved $30 million in funding to plan and design better bus service to LaGuardia, officially kicking off a project to improve mass transit options to the Queens airport. Recommended by an expert panel in March, the plan involves scrapping the controversial AirTrain and instead improving the existing bus service and adding a new non-stop airport shuttle.
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Plans for AirTrain to LaGuardia have been scrapped

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

March 14, 2023

Plans for AirTrain to LaGuardia have been scrapped

Plans to build an AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport are officially dead after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Monday released the results of a 17-month-long analysis of mass transit options to the Queens airport. A panel of experts recommended the Port Authority abandon the proposed 1.5-mile elevated rail line and instead move forward with improving existing bus service and adding a new non-stop airport shuttle. Estimated costs for the bus options are just under $500 million, according to the report, compared to estimates of between $2.4 billion and $6.2 billion for light rail options.
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José Andrés will open a restaurant lounge at LaGuardia Airport

Photo courtesy of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

October 19, 2022

José Andrés will open a restaurant lounge at LaGuardia Airport

To continue its transformation from third-world country to state-of-the-art airport, LaGuardia Airport is adding another dining experience sure to be welcomed by foodies. José Andrés will open a restaurant lounge at the Queens airport as part of a partnership with Capital One, Eater New York reported on Wednesday. Since 2016, the airport has been undergoing an $8 billion overhaul, which has included new terminals, improved passenger space, public art, and a slew of new dining options.
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Delta’s $4B Terminal C opens this weekend at an all-new LaGuardia Airport

Photo courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

June 2, 2022

Delta’s $4B Terminal C opens this weekend at an all-new LaGuardia Airport

Gov. Kathy Hochul and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Wednesday that the $4 billion Delta Air Lines Terminal C will open at LaGuardia Airport on June 4. The opening means the all-new $8 billion LaGuardia Airport, the nation's first new major airport in a quarter-century, is nearly complete. At nearly twice the size of the one it replaces, Delta's new terminal boasts up-to-the-minute technology, New York-centric concessions–and an impressive collection of new public artworks by well-known local artists referencing the Queens neighborhood's rich immigrant history and cultural diversity.
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The Q70 bus to LaGuardia Airport will now be free year-round

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

April 27, 2022

The Q70 bus to LaGuardia Airport will now be free year-round

While getting to LaGuardia Airport via mass transit won't get easier any time soon, at least it won't cost anything for some travelers. During a Metropolitan Transportation Authority board meeting on Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the Q70 bus, known as the LaGuardia Link, will be free year-round to travelers starting May 1.
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Transit

Port Authority releases mass transit options as possible alternatives to LaGuardia AirTrain project

Rendering courtesy of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

March 3, 2022

Port Authority releases mass transit options as possible alternatives to LaGuardia AirTrain project

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday released a set of alternative options to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $2.1 billion LaGuardia AirTrain project, a 1.5-mile elevated rail that would connect the airport with the subway system at Willets Point and link to the Long Island Rail Road. After Gov. Kathy Hochul halted the project last October and urged developers to look for alternate options, Port Authority has come up with 14 alternatives including two subway extensions, five light rail routes, five bus options, a ferry service, and options utilizing "emerging technologies."
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Cuomo’s $2.1B LaGuardia AirTrain project is halted

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday that it would be putting the brakes on any further development of the AirTrain, the proposed 1.5-mile elevated rail that would run between the airport and the eastern Queens neighborhood of Willets Point, with a connection to the subway and Long Island Rail Road. The project was a top priority for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. His successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, has called for a review of alternatives to the project in response to opposition by community groups and local officials who have criticized its environmental review process, its impact on the surrounding community, and a dearth of alternatives being discussed.
Is it the end of the line for AirTran?

Cuomo’s $2.1B AirTrain to LaGuardia gets federal approval

Rendering courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

July 21, 2021

Cuomo’s $2.1B AirTrain to LaGuardia gets federal approval

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey can move forward with its proposal to build a $2.1 billion AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Tuesday. The 1.5-mile elevated rail would run between the airport and the eastern Queens neighborhood of Willets Point, with a connection to the subway and Long Island Rail Road. The agency's final decision was delayed last month after community groups and elected officials raised concerns about the review process and the logistics of building the AirTrain.
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New York is setting up COVID-19 testing sites at JFK and LaGuardia airports

Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 25, 2020

New York is setting up COVID-19 testing sites at JFK and LaGuardia airports

New coronavirus testing sites will be set up at John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports to limit the spread of the virus from out-of-state visitors, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday. The testing sites will allow "faster testing of people coming in, including hospital staff," the governor said during a press briefing. The additional measure comes as New York saw a record low COVID-19 test positivity rate of 0.66 percent on Monday, making it the 17th straight day with a positivity rate below 1 percent.
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Policy

See inside LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B

Photos courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

June 10, 2020

See inside LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B

The new arrivals and departures hall at LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B will officially open on Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced. The 850,000-square-foot, four-level space measures roughly 50 percent bigger than the hall it replaces and comes equipped with more check-in kiosks, security lines, and new screening systems, all aimed at improving efficiency and reducing crowds. The new hall is part of the ongoing reconstruction of LaGuardia, an $8 billion project which first broke ground in 2016.
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Transit

Cuomo to fast-track NYC infrastructure projects, including overhauls of Penn Station & LaGuardia

Rendering of a new entrance on 8th Avenue to Penn Station, part of the Empire Station Complex via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

May 26, 2020

Cuomo to fast-track NYC infrastructure projects, including overhauls of Penn Station & LaGuardia

The state will focus on restarting New York City's economy by accelerating work on major infrastructure projects, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday. "There is no better time to build than right now," Cuomo said during a press briefing. "You need to create jobs and you need to renew and repair this country's economy and its infrastructure." The governor said the state will fast-track infrastructure projects like the renovation and rebuild of Penn Station and LaGuardia Airport.
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See NYC landmarks turn blue in honor of essential workers

Photo by Jörg Angeli on Unsplash

April 10, 2020

See NYC landmarks turn blue in honor of essential workers

To show support for New York City's essential workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic, a number of buildings turned blue Thursday night. Madison Square Garden, One World Trade Center's spire, Beacon Theatre, Pier 17, Hudson Yards' Vessel, and more join more than 100 landmarks across the country as part of the #LightItBlue campaign. The nationwide lighting will occur weekly every Thursday.
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City Living

Four permanent artworks will transform LaGuardia Airport

Rendering of Terminal B courtesy of the Governor’s Office

March 6, 2020

Four permanent artworks will transform LaGuardia Airport

By Alexandra Alexa

The ongoing $8 billion transformation of LaGuardia Airport has focused on bringing the airport's functionality into the 21st century, but a series of major art commissions will also enhance how travelers experience the overhauled spaces. On Thursday Governor Cuomo announced a partnership with the nonprofit Public Art Fund that will bring site-specific works by four renowned artists —Jeppe Hein, Sabine Hornig, Laura Owens, and Sarah Sze—to the new Arrivals and Departures Hall opening later this year at Terminal B.
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Via will offer $15 and $20 shared rides from LaGuardia to anywhere in NYC

Photo courtesy of Via

November 15, 2019

Via will offer $15 and $20 shared rides from LaGuardia to anywhere in NYC

By Dana Schulz

Just in time for the holiday madness that is getting one's self out of LaGuardia, on-demand rideshare platform Via has partnered with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to offer $15 (from Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens) and $20 (from the Bronx and Staten Island) flat-rate rides from the airport. Not only does the service, called "LGA Connect," seek to help travellers get where they're going more quickly, but it will hopefully reduce traffic and congestion on the roads.
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Transit

First new Delta concourse will open next week at LaGuardia Airport as part of $8B overhaul

Rendering of Terminal C, courtesy of the Governor’s Office

October 29, 2019

First new Delta concourse will open next week at LaGuardia Airport as part of $8B overhaul

By Dana Schulz

It's been nearly a year since the first new gates and concourse opened at LaGuardia Airport, and now the second terminal is opening to passengers, announced Governor Cuomo today. Last year, Terminal B opened to serve Air Canada, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, along with a food hall and a plethora of modern amenities. Delta's Terminal C will start serving passengers on Monday, November 4th from one of its four new concourses. Not only will this terminal have floor-to-ceiling views of Citi Field and Flushing Bay, but it will also boast a slew of foodie options and tech-focused designs.
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June 27, 2019

Cuomo unveils new looks for next phase of $8B LaGuardia Airport overhaul

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that the first of four concourses at LaGuardia Airport's new state-of-the-art Delta terminal is on track to open this fall. The concourse is a major milestone in the $8 billion plan to construct an entirely new LaGuardia Airport. The new 105,000-square-foot concourse will feature views of Citi Field and Flushing Bay through floor-to-ceiling windows, gates that can accommodate a wide range of aircraft and dining options from the city's top eateries. New renderings released with the announcement show the concourse and the arrivals/departures facility scheduled to open in 2021.
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Real-time security checkpoint and taxi wait times now available for NYC airports

Via Flickr

February 5, 2019

Real-time security checkpoint and taxi wait times now available for NYC airports

Travelers who frequent New York City airports will now be able to plan a slightly smoother trip. Real-time tracking of security and taxi wait times have rolled out at Port Authority-operated terminals at John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty, LaGuardia, and New York Stuart International airports, the agency announced Monday. Using a real-time measurement tool "BlipTrack," passengers can track the wait times online for TSA checkpoint screening areas and taxi stands at 14 terminals across the four airports.
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Transit

December 6, 2018

Transforming LaGuardia’s Terminal B, by the numbers

The first phase of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $8 billion overhaul of LaGuardia Aiport opened to the public this weekend, which includes a new concourse and 11 gates at Terminal B. Construction company Skanska on Wednesday released additional information about the project, detailing everything from its planned 1.3 million square footage to its use of 40,000 tons of steel. In total, the redevelopment of LGA's Terminal B will cost $5.1 billion and bring 35 new gates and two new concourses.
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LaGuardia Airport’s first new gates and concourse are open

Photo by Colin Dennison for LGA on Facebook

November 29, 2018

LaGuardia Airport’s first new gates and concourse are open

By Alexandra Alexa

The first new gates in LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B will open this Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced earlier today. The opening will inaugurate the first of two concourses and 11 of the 35 total gates that will service Air Canada, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. This is the first phase of Cuomo's larger $8 billion overhaul to create "a whole new LaGuardia." The new concourse will feature retail space, a "food hall," complete with local mini-chains like Shake Shack, Irving Farm coffee, and La Chula taqueria, as well as an indoor park (a design feature Cuomo is also implementing at JFK).
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October 11, 2018

New coalition forms to push for LaGuardia AirTrain