‘From Worst to Best’: Gleaming New La Guardia Terminal Opens
The New York Times
The airport that Joe Biden once said was more suited to a “third-world’’ country has a gleaming new terminal to show off.
For decades, La Guardia Airport was one of the most maligned airports in the country — leaky ceilings, cramped corridors, regular rodent sightings and broken escalators set a standard for the dreadful travel experience.
The old airport was so decrepit that Joe Biden, when he was vice president in 2014, famously likened passing through it to a trip to the “third world.” Travelers were even less charitable, deeming it “disgusting” and “crappy” in social media posts, an embarrassing port of entry to a global capital.
But on Thursday, the views and reviews were far different as state and local officials celebrated the airport’s revival upon the completion of a wholly new main terminal that shares nothing but a name and location with the old La Guardia along the Queens waterfront.