NEW YORK – Calm our cynical hearts. LaGuardia Airport has just earned a superlative, on the right side of the spectrum. Well, part of LaGuardia.

Terminal B in downtown Queens has been named the world’s best new airport terminal, according to a global passenger survey conducted by airport ratings firm SKYTRAX, the Port Authority announced enthusiastically on Tuesday.

Home to American Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, United Airlines and Air Canada, the state-of-the-art 1.3 million square foot terminal also became the first terminal in North America to earn SKYTRAX’s highest five-star rating. and is one of less than two dozen airports and terminals worldwide that have been awarded five stars for global best practice.

Considered the “Oscars of the airline industry”, SKYTRAX’s World Airport Awards assess customer service and facilities at more than 550 airports, surveying customers on issues ranging from check-in to shopping, safety, comfort, atmosphere and choice of bars and restaurants. . As the Port Authority puts it, the award marks LaGuardia’s transformation from the worst airport in the country to the best in the world (terminal, of course).

Terminal B opened in phases, starting in 2018 and completing in 2022, and was part of an $8 billion transformation of LaGuardia that made it the first major new airport built in the United States during of the last 25 years. floor-to-ceiling windows, a 3,000-car parking garage, new convenient covered pickup facilities for taxis and rideshares, and double skybridges over active traffic lanes.

(Here are a few ways to make it happen, since the AirTrain plan is officially dead.)

Newark Liberty Airport’s new Terminal A received a special mention, earning it the title of third-best new terminal in the world.

SKYTRAX applies ratings for up to 800 customer service areas of airport products and services, covering many customer touchpoints. The star rating methodology is unified and consistent for the industry, and all airports are rated, from the largest hubs to smaller regional facilities. using the same core scoring criteria that covers the front-line customer experience of the end-to-end journey at an airport. Learn more here.

“Nuestro objetivo en la Autoridad Portuaria era transformar por completo la experience del cliente en LaGuardia y Newark Liberty Terminal A, desde la acera hasta la puerta, mediante la construcción de un nuevo aeropuerto y terminal de class mundial”, dijo el director ejecutivo de la Autoridad Portuaria, Rick Cotton, en “Ganar este prestigioso premio y convernos en la premiera terminal aeroportuaria de América del Norte en recibir una qualification de 5 estrellas de SKYTRAX demuestra que hemos logrado lo que muchos dijeron que era imposible: elevar a LaGuardia de peor a better”.

“These awards are an affirmation of the work of the Port Authority and our partners to reimagine what LaGuardia and Newark Liberty Terminal A could be. With sleek, modern designs, world-class amenities and compelling public artwork , Newark Terminal A and LaGuardia are now setting a new global standard for everyday air travel,” added Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.

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