opens for business
LaGuardia community leaders: (l-R) Ryan Marzullo, Delta; Patricia Ornst,Delta; Tracy Sanford, LGA Terminal B; Melinda Katz, Queens District Attorney;
Sharon DeVivo, Vaughn College; Jeffrion Aubry, Queens Assemblyan; Rick Cotton, Exec. Dir. Port Authority; Richard Smyth, LGA Port Authority; Hersh
Parekh, Port Authority.
AIRPORT VOICE, JANUARY 2020 17
Guardia Airport’s redevelopment
program. First awarded
in April of 2019 by Governor
Cuomo, this unique initiative
will provide a second cohort
of local students the opportunity
to compete for a tuitionfree
college education in the
aviation field, with the promise
of a full-time position in
Aviation Operations at the
Port Authority upon graduation.
Five incoming freshmen
in the 2020-2021 academic
year will qualify for full,
four-year scholarships. In addition
to qualifying for a position
with the Port Authority
upon graduation, scholarship
recipients will be offered paid
internships at the Port Authority
airports during the
summers of their enrollment
at Vaughn.
“The Vaughn College
Scholarship is yet another
example of the way the Port
Authority is committed to
providing top opportunities
and resources to its neighbors
in the communities near
its facilities,” said Chairman
Kevin O’Toole. “We look forward
to welcoming another
group of talented local students
to the Port Authority
family.” “Vaughn College is
proud to partner with The
Port Authority to offer the
students of Queens an incredible
opportunity to join this
in-demand industry,” said Dr.
Sharon B. DeVivo, president
of Vaughn. “Graduates of our
institution have the greatest
likelihood of moving to the
top in income out of every
other college in the country
and coupled with a debt-free
education and employment
possibilities in Queens, these
students have an almost
guaranteed successful future
ahead of them.”
Three of last year’s recipients
were interviewed discussing
their positive experience
thus far as full-time
students at Vaughn College
as a result of this scholarship
program. Huntley Lawrence,
Director of Aviation
at the Port Authority, and
Sharon DeVivo, President
of Vaughn College were also
featured and discussed the
importance of continued
education in aviation, technology,
and management careers.
To be eligible for a scholarship,
students must reside
in Queens County. Preference
in the application process
will be given to residents of
the following zip codes: 11369
(East Elmhurst), 11370 (East
Elmhurst, Astoria) and 11105
(Astoria). Secondary preference
will be given to residents
of the following zip codes:
11368 (Corona, Willets Point),
11102 (Astoria) and 11103 (Astoria).
Applications are being
accepted now and can be accessed
here: www.vaughn.
edu/port
Governor Cuomo first unveiled
the vision for a comprehensive
redevelopment of
LaGuardia Airport to create
a unified airport and 21st century
customer experience in
2015. Construction began on
the $8 billion project, roughly
two-thirds of which is funded
through private financing
and existing passenger fees,
in June 2016.
On the western side of the
airport, the new $4 billion
Terminal B, being built and
operated by the private consortium
LaGuardia Gateway
Partners (LGP), is replacing
the obsolete terminal that
opened more than 50 years
ago. On the eastern side of the
airport, Delta Air Lines’ new
$4 billion Terminal C will ultimately
comprise a total 37
gates across four new concourses.
As part of the redevelopment
project, each new
terminal will be equipped
with electric ground service
equipment charging facilities
to accommodate an electric
fleet.
LGP and Delta are privately
financing roughly twothirds
of the redevelopment’s
costs, and the Port Authority
has committed the remaining
one-third - most of it for overhauling
and simplifying the
current labyrinth network of
on-airport roadways.
The new terminal buildings
will be located closer to
the Grand Central Parkway
than the existing terminals,
increasing the size of the airfield
and allowing for dual
taxiways to reduce gate congestion,
while also enabling
larger gate areas to more efficiently
accommodate modern
aircraft. State-of-the-art
security technology will be
integrated from curb to gate
to improve safety and the customer
experience.
The past 20 months have
been critical for the project
as progress has accelerated.
In February 2018, the new
Terminal B parking garage
opened with 3,200 spaces, including
more than 2,400 for
personal vehicles and a dedicated
level for for-hire vehicles.
In December 2018, Governor
Cuomo opened the first
new gates and the first new
concourse in Terminal B on
the western side of the airport,
which serves American
Airlines, United Airlines,
Southwest Airlines, and Air
Canada. In October 2019, Governor
Cuomo opened the first
new concourse and seven new
gates as part of Delta’s new
unified Terminal C.
Following Governor Cuomo’s
vision for A Whole New
LGA, the Port Authority is
working hand in hand with
local elected officials, stakeholders,
and Queens residents
to ensure local businesses,
MWBEs, and jobseekers take
advantage of new opportunities
as part of LaGuardia
Airport’s redevelopment and
economic growth. Overall,
the redevelopment of LaGuardia
is anticipated to create a
combined $10 billion in economic
activity and $2.5 billion
in wages over the life of
the project. LaGuardia Airport
contracts with certified
minority and women owned
businesses (MWBE) have
now exceeded $1.4 billion. At
Terminal B, LaGuardia Gateway
Partners has awarded
more than $874 million in
contracts to MWBE firms to
date, and at Terminal C, Delta
has more than $534 million in
contracts with MWBEs.
In April, Governor
Cuomo announced the opening
of the new Council for
Airport Opportunity (CAO)
office in Corona, in partnership
with two communitybased
organizations. CAO
provides airport-related recruitment
and job placement
services to minority
and disadvantaged residents
in Queens. In addition, the
LaGuardia Redevelopment
program has partnered with
Vaughn College and LaGuardia
Community College to
create internship programs
and fund scholarships for
local youth. This summer,
LGA Redevelopment funded
a 6-week STEM education
program for 50 middle school
students at Langston Hughes
Library in Corona.
LGA Redevelopment staffer Emanuela Sanchez in front of new gates and
airport configuration..
/www.vaughn
/www.vaughn