LaGuardia Airport Set for a Makeover
laguardia airport
New York's LaGuardia airport is getting a much-needed makeover. Governor Cuomo made the announcement alongside Vice President Joe Biden Monday.
The Queens airport is known as one of the busiest in the nation, as well as the most outdated. Governor Cuomo introduced a plan to redesign and rebuild the transportation hub, which he's dubbing "un-New York" in its current state.
"You've heard the phrase 'un-American,' well I'm starting a phrase, it is 'un-New York,'" Cuomo said. "La Guardia is slow, it's dated, it's a terrible front-door entranceway to New York."
Vice President Joe Biden compared LaGuardia to a "Third World Country" last year. He says the poorly-designed airport holds back millions of travelers as well as the thousands of employees trying to serve them.
"Because it's not about the great people who work there; it's about the hallways that don't make sense, the connections that don't connect, the wait times, the flight delays, the crowded concessions and bathrooms," Biden said.
Cuomo says Biden's office expedited approvals for the new airport that would have normally taken years to get. He says the first part of the plan will begin next year and cost $4 billion.
Delta Air Lines is a partner in the new terminal. The airport will be constructed closer to the Grand Central Parkway, creating more than double the space.
Governor Cuomo says it will be the first new airport built after the September 11 terror attacks.
