LaGuardia airport in New York has officially completed the transformation of passenger facilities at its Terminal B.
The unveiling of a new western Skybridge means that the airport is now the first in the world to feature dual pedestrian skybridges, which both measure 482 feet long and rise 60 feet from the ground.
LaGuardia said that the skybridges have “enabled more than two additional miles of taxiway space to be built, reducing delays for arrivals and departures and will help ease customers’ ability to travel seamlessly to their gates”.
The opening of the second skybridge – along with the unveiling of the terminal’s new departures and arrivals hall last summer, and a second concourse in December 2021 – means that all passengers arriving and departing at the terminal will experience newly built facilities, with all temporary walkways taken out of service.
New York’s LaGuardia unveils new departures and arrivals hall at Terminal B
The transformed terminal offers 1.35 million square feet of new facilities, including 35 gates, a 3,00-car parking garage, and covered pickup areas for taxis and ride-sharing vehicles, as well as “best-in-class retail, vast dining experiences, stunning art and amenities that provide customers with a world-class 21st century travel experience”.
The remaining portion of the old – and much maligned – Central Terminal Building has now been removed from service and will be demolished by this spring.
Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said that the airport had “gone from worst to best, something no one thought was possible when this project began” – a nod to the LaGuardia being named Best New Airport in the World in UNESCO’S Prix Versailles 2021.
The Terminal B transformation is part of an $8 billion project “to construct a whole new LaGuardia airport”, which broke ground in 2016.
Delta unveiled the Delta first of four new concourses at the airport in 2019, and is expected to open a new arrivals and departures hall at Terminal C this spring.
Commenting on the news Frank Scremin, CEO of LaGuardia Gateway Partners, said:
“LaGuardia’s new Terminal B is a crowning achievement for the people of New York, for the future of aviation, and for what a public-private partnership can accomplish.
“There were a lot of naysayers, but from the onset of this project, we said that we would bring our city a world class airport. Today, with the leadership of the Governor’s office and the Port Authority, our equity, management and construction partners, a record number of minority and women-owned businesses, and the unwavering support of New Yorkers, we made it happen.
“The new Terminal B is a shining example of a 21st Century airport facility focused on passenger experience and what can be accomplished when we all work together.”
