Famously described as a ‘third world’ airport by Joe Biden, New York LaGuardia will finally get the modern upgrade New Yorkers deserve, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
The cramped airport will be revamped to offer double the current operational space for planes in a project worth about $4 billion.
The cost will be borne by the public and private sectors with Delta Air Lines a major partner in the reconstruction, Cuomo said.
How LaGuardia will look when finished
A new LaGuardia ‘will transform not only the New York City travel experience but also the landscape of the city itself,’ said Delta president Ed Bastian.
The current series of outdated terminals will be transformed into a unified air hub with a new main terminal built closer to the Grand Central Parkway, releasing more space for aircraft taxiways.
The added space would also allow for triple the current passenger screening space, more retail units and offer better connections between terminals.
The first phase of the project would break ground next year with a planned 2019 opening date.
Passenger disruption will be ‘minimal’ Cuomo said.
"This is what New Yorkers deserve and have deserved for a long time and now we’re going to get it," Cuomo said.
Joe Biden, also at the unveiling alongside Cuomo, applauded the governor for ‘thinking big.’
"LaGuardia and JFK are economic anchors for this city, and they deserve to be the best in the world," Biden said.
"I wish everything I said that was truthful but controversial would turn out this well," Biden added.
