LAGUARDIA AIRPORT

In 2015, LaGuardia handled 28.4 million passengers. The airport also employs 11,000 people and generates more than $15.6 billion to the economy.

LaGuardia Airport

Conveniently located eight miles from midtown Manhattan in the borough of Queens, New York, LaGuardia Airport serves millions of people each year. Since 1947, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has operated LaGuardia under a lease with New York City. The airport sits on 680 acres, has two 7,000 ft main runways and four terminal buildings that house up to 72 aircraft gates.

Our History

Opened in 1939, LaGuardia Airport was built on the site of the old Gala Amusement Park at a cost of $40 million. Once called the Overseas Terminal, and then the Marine Air Terminal, Terminal A was the original airport terminal building, serving international flights throughout the 1940s. In 1995, the terminal was designated a historic landmark. Terminal B, also know as the Central Terminal Building, opened in 1964 followed by Terminals C and D in 1983 and 1992. Today, LaGuardia Airport handles millions of passengers, millions of tons of cargo and is an important economic engine for the New York-New Jersey region.

Our Future

At just eight miles from midtown Manhattan, LaGuardia Airport is a central, accessible and goods. As demand for air travel continues, an extensive redevelopment program is coming to LaGuardia to create world-class airport facilities for passengers and airlines alike. Some of the major improvements include replacing Terminal B, adding more taxiways and passenger walkways to reduce connection delays and enhancing food and retail offerings. To learn more about what’s in store, visit our redevelopment section.

Redevelopment

A New Airport for New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is heralding a new era for LaGuardia Airport. The Governor’s vision is to transform LaGuardia into a transportation hub for millions of people

world-class transportation hub; to build an airport that is worthy of the State of New York and one that New Yorkers deserve.

The comprehensive redesign of LaGuardia

Airport involves transforming LaGuardia into a unified airport with a main terminal, better transportation access with a future air train, more taxiways and best-in-class passenger amenities. “Our plan will fundamentally transform LaGuardia – replacing what is now an outdated and poorly designed complex with the world-class airport New York has always deserved.” Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Construction of the new unified terminal – Terminal B – is expected to be a $4 billion project creating 8,000 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs.

LaGuardia Gateway Partners – a consortium company of airport experts – will design, build, manage and maintain LaGuardia’s Terminal B under a 35-year lease agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

From the desk of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-unveils-vision-transformative-redesign-laguardia-airport

First Half of New Unified Terminal Structure – a $4 Billion Construction Project – to Break Ground in First Part of 2016 Via New Public Private Partnership Negotiated by Port Authority

Delta Air Lines Expected to Redevelop Its Terminals – Comprising Second Half of New Unified Terminal Structure – On Parallel New Layout Designed to Reduce LaGuardia’s Current Plague of Aircraft Ground Congestion and Gate Delays, and Set Stage for World-Class Passenger Experience

Governor Cuomo was joined recently by Vice President Joe Biden to unveil the vision for the comprehensive redesign of LaGuardia Airport. The airport will be transformed into a single, structurally unified main terminal with expanded transportation access, significantly increased taxiway space and best-in-class passenger amenities. Construction on the first half of the new unified terminal, expected to be a $4 billion project that creates 8,000 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs, will be managed by LaGuardia Gateway Partners, a new public private partnership chosen by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to build the project

Construction on the first half will begin upon final approval from the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. That approval is expected in the first part of 2016; the majority of this first half of the project is expected to open to passengers in 2019, with full completion scheduled for approximately 18 months later. The second half of the new unified terminal is expected to be redeveloped by Delta Air Lines, which has indicated strong support for the new vision, and anticipates beginning the redevelopment of its terminals on a parallel track with the LaGuardia Gateway Partners project to complete the new unified airport.

“New York had an aggressive, can-do approach to big infrastructure in the past –and today, we’re moving forward with that attitude once again,” said Governor Cuomo. “We are transforming LaGuardia into a globally-renowned, 21st century airport that is worthy of the city and state of New York. It’s the perfect metaphor for what we can achieve with the ambition and optimism and energy that made this the Empire State in the first place, and I want to thank our many partners for joining us to build the airport that New York deserves.”.

Video of a presentation that details the redesign, led by Dan Tishman, CEO of Tishman Construction Company and Chair of the Governor’s Airport Master Plan Advisory Panel, can be viewed here.

Dan Tishman said, “On behalf of the advisory panel, I want to thank the port authority and the port chairman for working with us so professionally, and I want to thank the Governor for his leadership and support. For me, this has been an engaging and rewarding experience. This is our vision – this is Governor Cuomo’s vision – this is reimagining New York.”

The recommendation for a single, unified terminal is included in a sweeping LaGuardia redesign, developed by the Governor’s Airport Master Plan Advisory Panel, and released today. The report, which can be viewed here, presents the Panel’s recommendations, which will enable LaGuardia to meet the demands of the 21st century.

SINGLE, UNIFIED TERMINAL

wLaGuardia’s current terminal layout, comprised of multiple, fragmented terminals (photo here), will be replaced by one main, architecturally unified terminal. This will be accomplished by demolishing the existing Terminal B building, which is operated by the Port Authority, and replacing it with a larger structure, located closer to the Grand Central Parkway, which will include new terminal space and a new Central Arrivals and Departures Hall, and will link to Delta’s Terminals C and D. This represents the western half of the new structurally unified terminal.

The eastern half of the new unified terminal will be constructed on a parallel track by Delta Air Lines redeveloping its existing Terminals closer to the Grand Central Parkway

and connecting them to the new Central Arrivals and Departures Hall. Delta Air Lines is strongly supportive of this plan, and will move forward with the Panel’s recommendations in parallel with the construction schedule for the new space and Central Hall.

TERMINAL LOCATION & ISLAND-GATES

To utilize LaGuardia’s geographic footprint more efficiently, the new terminal facility will be built closer to the Grand Central Parkway. The redesigned facility will also utilize an island-gate system, in which passengers access their gates via raised pedestrian bridges, high enough for aircraft to taxi underneath, which connect back to the main terminal. A rendering of the island-gate system can be viewed here.

Together, the relocated terminals and island-gate system will create nearly two miles of new taxiway space. This allows for a more efficient circulation of aircraft and reduced taxi-in and taxi-out times, which will yield shorter and fewer gate delays – a dramatic difference from today’s LaGuardia. In addition, this change will produce overall reduction in carbon emissions from idling aircraft.

EXPANDING TRANSPORTATION ACCESS

As part of his 2015 Opportunity Agenda,

Governor Cuomo proposed creating an AirTrain option that directly connects LaGuardia to the New York City subway and Long Island Rail Road at Mets-Willets Point Station. The panel supports the Governor’s call for this AirTrain option, and the new LaGuardia’s unified terminal will be designed to incorporate a future AirTrain terminal.

The Panel recommends that the airport once again be made accessible by ferry service. The panel also calls for an enhanced road configuration to improve passenger access and reduce traffic on local streets in the airport’s vicinity, including the Grand Central Parkway.

The interior of the new unified terminal will also be intuitive for passengers to easily navigate, and will facilitate efficient movement throughout the airport. A transit option to move passengers more quickly within the airport is recommended by the Panel, such as a tram or monorail, to be included as construction moves forward. This transit option would also better integrate the Marine Air Terminal (Terminal A) with the rest of the airport housed in the new unified terminal.

IMPROVING PASSENGER EXPERIENCE

Taking into account the realities of post9/11 air travel, the Panel recommends that the new unified facility contain additional space for security check-in, which will help diminish wait times for passengers as they pass through mandatory TSA screening. The facility – both in its individual terminals and the central hall – will also be built with significant height and openness in order to allow for a superior passenger experience, clearer signage, greater use of natural light and overall aesthetic improvements. The central hall will also be designed with space for best-in-class passenger amenities in retail, dining, and business and conference center capabilities, as well as the option to include a 200-room boutique hotel option convenient for travelers.

INCREASING STORM RESILIENCY During Superstorm Sandy, approximately 100 million gallons of saltwater flooded the airport and shut it down for two days, impacting 250,000 passengers and causing an estimated economic loss to the region of roughly $108 million. With this in mind, the Panel recommends elevating critical infrastructure in order to keep the airport operational during a flood event and better prepare the airport for similar extreme weather events.

SUPPORTING SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

The redesign of LaGuardia is vital to transforming the airport into a 21st century facility and maintaining economic compet-

Future rendering of LaGuardia Airport’s main terminal, northern Queens, NY itiveness throughout the region – but it is also important for the airport to be a good neighbor to its surrounding communities. Currently, the neighborhoods in the immediate vicinity of LaGuardia experience significant automobile traffic on local roads and the Grand Central Parkway from passengers either parking outside of the airport’s ground or from motorists waiting to pick up passengers from the airport as they arrive. Under the new design plan, the Panel recommends increasing parking options on-site and identifying a location for a cell phone waiting area in order to reduce congestion on local streets. Additionally, the Panel also recommends a new rental car facility be created to concentrate the ten car rental companies that currently serve LaGuardia from multiple dispersed locations, further reducing congestion.

The Panel has recommended that the Port Authority will ensure that the project’s employment reflects a broad spectrum of the ognize Governor Cuomo’s goal of 30 percent MWBE participation. It will also build on the Port Authority’s longstanding commitment to supporting Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (ADCBE). JFK south Queens, NY redevelopment annually, generating about 121,000 total jobs and $5.9 billion in annual wages

UPDATE ON FUTURE WORK AT JFK,

communities in the region, and should rec-

STEWART AND REPUBLIC AIRPORTS

RFP to be issued for Master Planner for JFK Redesign

In addition to the redesign plan for LaGuardia Airport, Governor Cuomo also provided an update on the status of efforts to revolutionize and modernize JFK, Republic and Stewart Airports.

Currently, LaGuardia contributes more than $16 billion in economic activity to the region JFK International Airport – JFK is one of the few international airports without an on-air-

port hotel. Governor Cuomo announced today the construction of a new state-ofthe-art hotel at JFK in the historic TWA Flight Center, which was designed by world-renowned architect Eero Saarinen. The hotel will include 505 guestrooms, 40,000 square feet of conference, event, and meeting space, and a 10,000 square foot observation deck. The hotel will also be LEED certified.

The redevelopment of JFK’s TWA Flight Center Hotel will move forward under a public-private partnership between MCR Development, JetBlue and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The $265 million construction project, which is expected to break ground next year, will generate

Future rendering of LaGuardia Airport’s redevelopment, northern Queens, NY

TWA flight center hotel 3,700 jobs, and is expected to open in 2018.

“The TWA Flight Center Hotel will celebrate and preserve Eero Saarinen’s masterpiece, returning the landmark to its original glory and reopening it to the public,” said Tyler York-based developer responsible for the TWA Flight Center redevelopment plan. “The TWA Flight Center Hotel will be an economic engine and a world-class airport hotel, creating approximately 3,700 construction and permanent jobs, 505 new hotel rooms, and 40,000 square feet of meeting space at JFK. Whether staying the night or simply exploring, international visitors and New Yorkers alike will be able to experience

the magic of the Jet Age in this extraordinary mid-century icon. We are proud to play a Morse, CEO of MCR Development, the New

part in Governor Cuomo’s effort to revitalize New York’s airports for generations to come, and we look forward to working with all of the carriers at JFK to realize this vision.”

“We are thrilled the TWA Flight Center will come alive again,” said Rich Smyth, Vice President of Corporate Real Estate, JetBlue. “Saarinen’s aviation icon sits at the front door of our flagship T5 terminal, offering exciting collaboration opportunities that will benefit our customers and crewmembers. As New York’s Hometown Airline, we are proud to be a minority investor in MCR’s plan, which celebrates the landmark’s rich history while returning it to public use. We want to thank Governor Cuomo for his leadership in supporting our long-held belief that the TWA terminal can viably be restored and re-opened.”

The Governor also announced today plans to move forward to develop a full master plan for future development at JFK airport. The Governor has directed the Advisory Panel to report back in the next twelve months with its recommendations for an implementable master plan for the development of a 21st century JKF International Airport. Within the next 60 days, the Panel will work with the Port Authority to issue an RFP to retain a master planning firm to advise the Governor, the Panel, and the Port Authority on the future development of the airport.

New RFIs for Republic & Stewart – Empire State Development has issued new RFIs with a primary focus on enhancing the regional economic activity at both Republic and Stewart International airports. Specific sites have been identified for future development, and ESD will guide the development of these sites via a new real estate broker: Newmark Knight Grubb Frank.