Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, Laguardia Airport opened the first of its new terminals Saturday, marking the biggest public step yet in its transformation into a modern center for air travel.
The first wing of its new central terminal opened 11 new gates in a light-filled concourse that is the first installment of what will eventually be 72 gates in three terminals built from scratch to replace facilities designed in the 1950s. The new gates are also connected to the first of the new airport garages, which opened several months ago.
The move into the new area will allow demolition of more of the old terminal, a process that is enabling the airport to operate at full capacity while its $8 billion make-over takes place. The project also shifts all the terminals much closer to the existing highway, allowing more taxiing and runway space on the field. The airport will also be linked, for the first time, to the city’s rail transit systems, although only by an AirTrain that will require a change at an off-airport station.
The entire project is scheduled to be completed by 2022.
