Forbes Travel Guide named LaGuardia Airport as the nation’s best airport in October based on a survey of 5,000 hospitality and travel experts and the guide’s most well-traveled fliers.
On Tuesday, Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton accepted the Verified Air Travel Award in the recently completed Terminal C. The award is the latest in a long list of accolades given to LaGuardia throughout the course of the airport’s $8 billion transformation project that began in 2016.
“Ten years ago, we committed to building a world-class airport. I doubt we had many true believers, but I think we have won the skeptics over,” Cotton said. “From the very start, our mission at LaGuardia Airport was to transform what was once the worst airport in the nation into an airport that would rival the best in the world. We have created a new LaGuardia airport that is no longer a national laughingstock but something our entire region and country can be proud of.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards celebrated the long-maligned airport going from worst to first.
“The redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport has turned what was once a dilapidated and depressing facility into what is now truly the best airport in America,” Richards said. “This incredible achievement would not have been accomplished without the determination and dedication of Queens residents and businesses, including M/WBEs, who have worked on the LaGuardia transformation project.”
LaGuardia also received the 2021 Prix Versailles from UNESCO for Terminal B as the best new airport terminal in the world. In June 2022, Delta Air Lines opened the new 1.3 million-square-foot Terminal C, which was completed in 2024.
“The Forbes Travel Guide award is a significant honor as it reflects the consensus of thousands of hospitality and travel industry experts who have recognized LaGuardia Airport as the nation’s best,” said Ryan Marzullo, managing director of New York corporate real estate at Delta. “We are proud to have played an important role in rebuilding our terminal as part of LaGuardia’s transformation — alongside our partners at the Port Authority and LaGuardia Gateway Partners — as this word-class airport plays a vital role in our long-standing commitment to New York.”
Queens Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Tom Grech said the transformation of the airport into the nation’s best is a testament to the Port Authority’s vision and investment in world-class infrastructure and noted the ongoing $19 billion transformation project at JFK Airport.
“Aviation is the backbone of Queens, driving economic growth, job creation, and global connectivity for our borough and the entire region,” Grech said. “This recognition from Forbes Travel Guide not only highlights LaGuardia’s remarkable evolution but also reinforces the critical role our airports play in supporting businesses, tourism, and economic opportunity.”
He applauded the Port Authority for ensuring that Queens remains a premier gateway to the world.
“This award from Forbes Travel Guide is an affirmation of all the hard work and resources that the Port Authority and our partners have invested in reimagining what LaGuardia could become,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said. “Today, we are no longer imagining what our airports can become — we are realizing our goal to create world-class airports across our region.”
