American Airlines will begin operations from a new concourse at LaGuardia Airport tomorrow after an official opening ceremony.
The team from American Airlines was joined by New York governor Andrew Cuomo; Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; representatives from LaGuardia Gateway Partners; and LaGuardia Airport team members to celebrate the unveiling of the new concourse at Terminal B.
The construction of the new concourse is the first step in the reimagining of Terminal B, where American has exclusively operated since December 2017.
The $5.1 billion transformation of the rest of Terminal B is scheduled for completion in 2022 and is led by the Port Authority, LGP, American and other airport stakeholders.
“Today marks an important step in the evolution of LaGuardia,” said Michael Minerva, American vice oresident of government and airport affairs.
“We’re investing back into our business in partnership with the Port Authority and LaGuardia Gateway Partners, making LaGuardia a more modern, enjoyable, customer-friendly gateway to the Big Apple.”
Over the next few years, two new concourses featuring 35 gates will be built at Terminal B.
The two concourses will be connected to the main terminal by dual pedestrian bridges spanning an active taxiway, allowing customers and aircraft to move about seamlessly.
The project includes a new 840,000-square-foot main terminal with soaring ceilings and corridors filled with natural light.
“For too long, LaGuardia Airport has offered its passengers a substandard experience, but this weekend’s opening of the first new concourse shows the Port Authority is committed to improving the passenger experience with world-class facilities that turns governor Cuomo’s vision into a beautiful reality,” said Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton.
“American Airlines has been a fixture at LaGuardia since the airport’s opening, and their use of these new gates helps symbolise the progress we’re making to improve the customer experience as the airport enters an exciting new phase of its history.”
LaGuardia Airport is not American’s only hub or gateway getting an extreme makeover.
With its airport partners, American has spent and committed billions of dollars for projects at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Miami International Airport, Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and Los Angeles International Airport, where the airline recently broke ground on a $1.6 billion project.