Airports transformed before our eyes

by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor

President Harry Truman was at the opening ceremony of Idlewild Airport back in 1948. In 2014, then-Vice President Joe Biden was the impetus for what would become a new LaGuardia Airport.

In the last seven years, LaGuardia, which opened in 1939, has pretty much completed its transformation from the “third-world airport” that Biden had passed through.

And within the next seven, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is promising similar if not better results at what is now John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The gem at LaGuardia, Parekh said, is evident immediately.

“I think it’s when customers first walk into the new terminals,” he said. “How spacious they are, the amount of light that flows in. It’s the first place you see when you come into the airport and the last place you see before you leave the airport. And, probably more importantly, a lot of the artwork that now is across the entire terminal ... It’s not just transportation.

It’s not just an aviation building.

It’s also a place to feel a piece of New York pride, because a lot of the art reflects the culture of diversity of the people of New York and the people of Queens.”

Future Modernization

“It is our goal to have world-class airports, to be a worldclass operator,” said Hersh Parekh, director of government and community relations for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates both JFK and LaGuardia. “It is our goal to have the best facilities not just in the country, but in the world. We’ve proven we can do that with LaGuardia. And we want to make JFK even better.”

Being New York City, of course, there was a catch — a big one.

“We built LaGuardia and we’re building JFK while we’re maintaining full flight operations,” said Thomas Topousis of the PA’s media office. “And at LaGuardia we had record numbers of passengers while rebuilding the airport. You build something new and you take something down ... It’s never really been done at an airport.”

According to the PA, LaGuardia is substantially complete.

Parekh said the work that still needs to be done includes two of the Terminal C concourses.

“That deals with the additional concourses,” Parekh said. “Terminal C will have four concourses, two of which we will have completed in the next 12 to 18 months. Two are completed. Half of the third is open. The fourth, one of the Delta concourses, will be a gut renovation. We’re not going to knock it down like the other concourses.”

The passenger experience, Parekh said, is a 180-degree turnaround.

“It’s night and day,” he said. “LaGuardia literally has gone from the worst airport to the best airport. And that’s not just the Port Authority’s opinion. It’s been the opinion of the determination of independent panels, avi- ation experts.”

The new Terminal B back in March was designated as the best new terminal in the world by Skytrax, an international airport rating organization. It also was the first North American terminal to receive the group’s five-star-rating.

“[Skytrax] is kind of inside baseball,” Parekh said. “But it’s very much the Oscars of the aviation industry.”

For traditionalists, two of the old American Airlines terminals from 1939 not only have been saved from the wrecking ball but have been renovated and are still being used by American [Airlines].

Topousis said the remainder of the buildings recently earned an award from the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

The classic Marine Air Terminal, which is both an official New York City landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, was not touched and serves Spirit Airlines.

Parekh believes the PA has far exceeded the traveling public’s expectations from 2014-15.

“I don’t think anyone thought LaGuardia would turn out as beautifully as it did,” he said. “And the results speak for themselves.

“You’ll see it if you look at those independent ratings. We see it on social media all the time, where people tweet that it is their first trip back to LaGuardia since Covid, and they are amazed at the difference They think they’re at the wrong airport ... You’re no longer just trying to get to your flight.

You’re going to enjoy the airport, the art installations, the concessions, just the overall experience.”

The work at JFK, by comparison, is in its infancy.

“Kennedy is a much larger, much more complicated and much more expensive development program,” Parekh said. “LaGuardia was an $8 billion project. This is a $19 billion project at Kennedy.”

At JFK some terminals are being expanded while others will be demolished and replaced.

Terminal 8, which houses American Airlines, underwent a $400 million expansion to allow British Airways to relocate in from Terminal 7 back in December.

Parekh said the building also has artwork that pays homage to the massive stained-glass window that for decades was a prominent feature of JFK’s old American terminal.

“That window went out a very long time go,” Topousis said. “You can buy pieces of it on the internet.”

The next project expected to come online will be the expansion of Terminal 4, which is expected to be completed in the third or fourth quarter of this year. The project will allow Delta, now operating out of Terminals 2 and 4, to consolidate in one place.

The PA has pointed out that there has been massive private investment in the airports. American has invested $400 million. Delta has put up $1.5 billion of its own money. The Port Authority also has committed $3 billion.

Still in its preliminary stages is what will be the $9.5 billion Terminal 1, the largest at the new JFK.

“That will be the gem on the south side of the airport,” Parekh said. Terminal 1 will be built on land presently occupied by Terminal 1, Terminal 2, which has been closed and will be demolished, and the vacant lot that used to have Terminal 3. The first phase will be completed around 2026. Completion is expected around 2029 or 2030.”

Finally, a new Terminal 6 will be built on the site of the old Terminal 6 and the existing Terminal 7, which will be demolished. It will be connected to Terminal 5, which houses JetBlue.

Parekh also said the PA is proud of the benefits that have been accrued by the communities around LaGuardia and those coming to the area around JFK.

Topousis said area businesses were awarded more than $850 million in contracts from the LaGuardia project alone, and a record $2 billion in contracts for minority and women-owned businesses.

“More than 1,000 residents have gotten jobs,” Parekh said. The $850 million for local businesses has been a source of pride for us. We’ve set up aviation [science, technology engineering and math] programs [in area schools]. We’ve awarded a dozen full scholarships to Vaughn College for high school students. We’re rebuilding airports, but we’re also bringing economic, educational and business opportunities. It’s a humongous point of pride for the Port Authority.” Q

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