New York City's LaGuardia Airport named best in the US by Forbes Travel Guide
FLUSHING, Queens (WABC) -- LaGuardia Airport was recognized Tuesday morning as one of the best airports in the United States.
The award ceremony was held Tuesday morning in the recently completed Terminal C, built and operated by Delta Air Lines.
Forbes Travel Guide made the determination after feedback from industry experts and 5,000 frequent fliers.
"It certainly represents that which is this is part of the journey, this is part of the experience, it all starts here," said CEO of Forbes Travel Guide Hermann Elger.
The recognition comes after LaGuardia's $8 billion renovation -- aimed at transforming one of the lowest-rated airports into a world-class destination.
And Queens Borough President Donavan Richards said it's been a true transformation.
"We went from the worst to the first, we are proud of the newly redesigned and reimagined airport," Richards said.
The Port Authority also thanked its private partners for investing two-thirds of the money to give travelers a world-class experience in the heart of Queens.
"When back 10 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," said Port Authority Executive Director Tom Cotton.
While being inside a beautiful terminal is certainly nice, at the end of the day for fliers, what happens on the outside of the terminal is more important.
"We focused on the airfield because LaGuardia was notorious for the delays getting on and off the runway, so you can't have a beautiful new building without with an efficient operation," said Ryan Marzullo, Delta managing director of corporate real estate.
As for what comes next? About 12 miles south the $19 billion renovation of JFK Airport is already underway -- it's a major undertaking that the Port Authority hopes will be winning awards like LaGuardia in years to come.
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