LGA Terminal B expands, Concourse for AA opens
The second new lightfilled
concourse and seven
new gates at LaGuardia Airport’s
Terminal B, part of
airport’s ongoing $8 billion
transformation. Beginning
on August 5, the first seven
new gates in new Western
Concourse were activated,
welcoming more travelers
through LaGuardia’s Terminal
B with a world-class passenger
experience. The new
concourse features an indoor
park, touchless restrooms
and world-class amenities
that convey a true sense of
New York. This milestone
follows last month’s opening
of the new 850,000 squarefoot
Arrivals and Departures
Hall with new concessions,
traveler amenities, world
class art installations, and
increased space for passengers
to move more safely and
efficiently during and after
the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the opening of this
new concourse, LaGuardia
Airport’s Terminal B is hitting
two major milestones
in one summer and moving
closer to its full transformation
into a 21st Century travel
facility,” Governor Cuomo
said. “LaGuardia Airport is
going to be the first new airport
in the United States in
25 years, and we’re building
it while still operating
the old airport. Travelers
coming to New York should
expect nothing less than a
world-class experience, and
that is what we are delivering
8 AIRPORT VOICE, AUGUST 2020
LaGuardia Gateway Partners ribbon cutting on the new Western Concourse featuring The Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton, Office of the
Queens Borough President Sharon Lee & LaGuardia Gateway Partners CEO Stewart Steeves posing with the construction workers across New York
State who have worked tirelessly to bring this design to life.
with this modernization
project.”
Rick Cotton, Executive
Director of the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey,
said, “Today’s opening of
the first seven new gates in
Terminal B’s Western Concourse
is part of 18 months of
fast progress as we near the
finish line of the complete
transformation of LaGuardia
Airport. Thanks to Governor
Cuomo’s vision and leadership,
construction of A Whole
New LaGuardia Airport continues
full speed ahead with
this summer’s opening of the
new Arrivals and Departures
Hall, the early opening of the
new concourse and gates, and
completion of nearly 75% of all
roadway work due to the reduction
in traffic.”
The Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey Executive
Director Rick Cotton,
LaGuardia Gateway Partners,
the private consortium
rebuilding and operating
LGA’s Terminal B, CEO,
Stewart Steeves, Assemblyman
Jeffrion Aubry and Acting
Queens Borough President
Sharon Lee unveiled
the first section of the 210,000
square-foot, new concourse
at a ribbon cutting ceremony
a month ahead of schedule.
When the second and final
phase is activated at the end
of 2021, the Western Concourse
will include a total of
17 new gates. The new concourse
will primarily serve
American Airlines and will
house the future American
Airlines Admirals Club. Like
the Eastern Concourse which
opened in December 2018, the
new concourse will connect
to the Terminal B Arrivals
and Departures hall by an elevated
pedestrian bridge. As
part of the phased construction
of the new concourse, a
second pedestrian skybridge
bridge will connect the Terminal
B Arrivals and Departures
Hall to the Western
Concourse in 2021. The second
section of the concourse
and ten additional new gates
will open in 2022.
Covid-19 Testing Centers Now
Open to Everyone at JFK
Since their grand opening
on June 26th, XpresCheck
has been testing airport and
airline employees and gaining
a lot of traction in the
fight to contain Covid-19
cases and build confidence in
travelers and staff at JFK.
Roughly six weeks after
opening at JFK T4, Xpres-
Check has expanded services
to passenger testing based on
it’s initial success. The convenient
on-site testing and
consistently positive feedback
from airline and airport
staff including TSA officers,
flight crews, concessionaires,
Custom Border & Protection
agents and ground
crews has helped drive this
service to be now be open to
everyone.
XpresCheck’s success has
also helped them secure a
location at EWR, which will
open the week of August 17,
in Terminal B Level 3 Departures.
Newark will open
at first serving airline and
airport employees, like JFK
XpresCheck, with a goal to
eventually open to all passengers
as well.
Proactive testing for Covid
19 can reduce the risk of
spread the virus from those
who are contagious, but do
not exhibit symptoms. XpresCheck
aims to reduce that
risk to promote a safe workplace
as well as reestablish
the trust of the traveling
public. On-site testing has
become even more important
as airport employees
begin to return to work this
fall as well as provide a much
needed service for those passengers
arriving into the
metro New York area from
select quarantine mandated
states
XpresCheck offers two
tests, a PCR test and the
blood antibody test. One can
choose either one, although
most people are choosing to
take both tests as they relay
different things. The PCR
test will tell you if you are actively
infected today, while
the blood antibody test will
suggest whether you have
been infected in the past.
Watch for announcements in
Airport Voice or visit xprescheck.
com to stay updated,
learn more or schedule an
appointment.
XpresCheck Covid tests available for workers & passengers at JFK & Newark airports.