New York officials recently celebrated the completion of new facilities at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, marking a major milestone in the terminal’s $4 billion transformation.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton and Chairman Kevin O’Toole; LaGuardia Gateway Partners CEO Frank Scremin; New York City Mayor Eric Adams; and others took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
According to the governor’s office, the completion and opening of LaGuardia Terminal B’s western skybridge, as well as the opening in December of Terminal B’s second concourse, means that every arriving and departing passenger at Terminal B will experience newly built, 21st-century architecture and facilities from gate to curb. With the completion of the second pedestrian bridge, which will span an active aircraft taxiway, Terminal B also becomes the world’s first airport with dual pedestrian skybridges.
“The transformation of LaGuardia airport into a world-class destination that is internationally recognized for its beauty is an integral part of our bold vision for a new era in New York,” said Hochul. “The completion of this $4 billion project will help provide a brand-new passenger experience for everyone traveling through Terminal B, easing connections and creating lasting impressions.”
Terminal B was awarded UNESCO’s Prix Versailles in December as “Best New Airport in the World” by a blue-ribbon panel of international architects assembled by the United Nations agency. The new terminal includes 1.35 million square feet of new terminal facilities and features 35 gates, a 3,000-car parking garage, and new covered pickup facilities for both taxis and ride-sharing vehicles.
Related roadway improvements and supporting infrastructure were all built while keeping the terminal fully functional during construction. With the interior work at Terminal B now completed, the remaining small portion of the old Central Terminal Building has been removed from service and will be torn down, with demolition expected to be completed by spring 2022.
“From a passenger point of view, the old LaGuardia is no more,” said Cotton. “We have gone from worst to best, something no one thought was possible when this project began.”
World’s First Dual Pedestrian Skybridges
As one of Terminal B’s most distinct architectural elements, the pair of skybridges span active aircraft taxi lanes, connecting the new, light-filled arrivals and departures hall to the terminal’s two island concourses, all featuring concessions and amenities for passengers.
The construction of both skybridges has enabled more than two additional miles of taxiway space to be built, reducing delays for arrivals and departures. Planes have been taxiing under the eastern skybridge since spring 2021 and will be able to successfully taxi below the western skybridge beginning in summer 2022.
Measuring 482 feet long and 60 feet above the ground, the two pedestrian bridges were a critical feature in the design of the new terminal. Since 2020, customers have been using one of the completed skybridges to access Terminal B’s east gates. The design of the new terminal’s twin island concourses provides more space and options for planes to taxi upon departure and arrival. Previously, aircraft movements could be blocked because there was only one way into the gates and one way out.
About the LaGuardia Redevelopment Project
In 2015, a comprehensive plan to construct a “whole new LaGuardia Airport” was unveiled. The $8 billion project, two-thirds of which is funded through private financing and existing passenger fees, broke ground in 2016.
In February 2018, the new Terminal B parking garage opened with over 3,000 spaces and a dedicated level for Uber, Lyft, and other for-hire car services. In December 2018, the first of 18 new gates and the first new concourse in Terminal B opened. In October 2019, Delta Air Lines opened its first new concourse and seven new gates. In June 2020, the new arrivals and departures Hall at Terminal B opened its doors.
In August 2020, a second new concourse at Terminal B opened its first gates, followed by the opening of additional gates in December 2021. Delta’s new arrivals and departures hall at Terminal C is scheduled to open in spring 2022.
(All photos courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul)