A highly praised New York airport is the recipient of this year’s first ever Best US Airport Award by Forbes Travel Guide.

Forbes announced that Queens’ LaGuardia Airport is this year’s top choice, in part due to its $8 billion transformation. 

The final selection was based on a survey of 5,000 hospitality and travel experts and the Forbes Travel Guide’s most well-traveled fliers.

‘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,’ Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said in a press release.

‘Today’s award from Forbes Travel Guide is further proof that with our private partners, Delta Air Lines and LaGuardia Gateway Partners, 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.’

LaGuardia Airport won the first ever Verified Air Travel Award for Best US Airport by Forbes

LaGuardia Airport won the first ever Verified Air Travel Award for Best US Airport by Forbes

LaGuardia Airport was known for its unsatisfactory reputation before beginning its $8 billion nearly 10 years ago.

The airport, which was once the Gala Amusement Park, covers over 650 acres of land.

One of the biggest projects was for Terminal B, which included a parking garage, new gates, and a 1.3 million-square-foot arrivals and departures hall.

Awards and certifications started piling up last year, and it even received the 2023 Airport Service Quality Award for Best Airport in North America (25-40M passengers.)

‘This award from Forbes Travel Guide, recognizing LaGuardia as the best airport in the nation, is affirmation of all the hard work and resources that the Port Authority and our partners have invested to reimagine what LaGuardia could become’ said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. 

‘Today, we are no longer imagining what our airports can become – we are realizing our goal to create world-class airports across our region.’

LaGuardia Airport was known for its unsatisfactory reputation before beginning its $8 billion nearly 10 years ago

LaGuardia Airport was known for its unsatisfactory reputation before beginning its $8 billion nearly 10 years ago

Terminal B was one of the freshly-built areas and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled the airport's Arrivals and Departures Hall in 2020

Terminal B was one of the freshly-built areas and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled the airport’s Arrivals and Departures Hall in 2020

Forbes Travel Guide created the Verified Air Travel Awards to celebrate airline and airport experiences.

‘At Forbes Travel Guide, we’ve always focused on identifying, qualifying and celebrating the best luxury hospitality experiences, and air travel has always been an important part of that,’ Forbes Travel Guide CEO Hermann Elger said earlier this year.

‘And as the industry has evolved rapidly, with some airlines and airports beginning to offer a level of luxury on par with luxury hotels, it felt like the perfect time for the industry as well as for consumers to have us apply our expertise to this field.’

Elger added that a focus on ‘personalization and innovation’ were two trends experts noticed when selecting the winners.

‘Whether it’s TSA’s implementation of facial recognition at US airports or the bespoke service offered by NetJets and Emirates, the industry is adapting to provide travelers with more tailored, seamless experiences,’ he said. 

‘Sustainability and well-being are also becoming a bigger factor, and I expect that we’ll see even more emphasis on healthier and evolved eco-friendly travel in the future.’ 

Forbes Travel Guide created the Verified Air Travel Awards to celebrate airline and airport experiences

Forbes Travel Guide created the Verified Air Travel Awards to celebrate airline and airport experiences

LaGuardia was not the only US airport to receive a 2023 Verified Air Travel Award.

Forbes Travel Guide recognized Delta One at John F Kennedy International Airport for being the Best US Airline Lounge.

The Transportation Security Administration also received the Innovation of the Year award for their implementation of facial recognition in US airports.

Outside the US, Dubai International Airport and Jewel Changi Airport took home the awards for Best Airport Dining and Best Airport Wellness Experience for its Forest Valley and Rain Vortex Gardens.

Delta Airlines took home multiple Verified Air Travel Awards this year, including Best US Airline and Best Domestic Business Class. 

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