Photo Courtesy of Kevin Coughlin/Office of the Governor
The completion of new facilities at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B marks a major milestone in the terminal’s $4 billion transformation.
By Forum Staff
Governor Kathy Hochul, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton and Chairman Kevin O’Toole, and LaGuardia Gateway Partners CEO Frank Scremin and other elected officials on Thursday celebrated the completion of new facilities at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, marking a major milestone in the terminal’s $4 billion transformation. The completion and the opening of LaGuardia Terminal B’s western skybridge, and 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.
All of the terminal’s temporary walkways have been taken out of service. 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.
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, convenient pickup facilities for both taxis and ride-sharing vehicles. The terminal offers best-in-class retail, vast dining experiences, stunning art and amenities that provide customers with a world-class 21st century travel experience. 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.
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 best-in-class 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 and will help ease customers’ ability to travel seamlessly to their gates. Planes have been taxiing under the eastern skybridge since the spring of 2021 and will be able to successfully taxi below the western skybridge beginning in summer 2022. Passengers using the new skybridges to reach Terminal B’s gates will enjoy magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline.
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. The dual bridges are impressive architecturally, but also assure that aircraft that are taxiing have two ways to enter or exit their gates.
Since 2020, customers have been using one of the completed skybridges to access Terminal B’s east gates. The design of the new terminals’ 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.
“It’s time to get New York City moving again, and a world-class airport here in Queens will help us do that,” Mayor Eric Adams said.
