NEW YORK, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- A new concourse opened on Saturday at the LaGuardia Airport of New York City, marking a milestone in the 8-billion-U.S.-dollar overhaul plan for the dilapidated flight hub.
The 250,000-square-foot (about 23,225 square meters) concourse at LaGuardia's Terminal B opened with 11 new gates and new shopping and dining choices. Another seven new gates will be put into use by 2020, according to Rick Cotton, executive director of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Airliners including American, Southwest, United and Air Canada now depart from these 11 new gates.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo called the project a "dream coming to life" when he joined local officials at a ceremonial opening held earlier this week at the airport.
"While leaders in Washington only talk about investing in infrastructure, in New York we are actually getting it done, and now travelers from across the world will start to see and experience a whole new LaGuardia," said the governor.
The 20th busiest airport in the country and one of the three key airports serving the greater New York area along with JFK and Newark, LaGuardia handles some 30 million passengers each year.
However, the airport is often criticized for its outdated facilities and poor overall conditions. Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden once described experience here as like being in a "third-world country," while incumbent President Donald Trump, himself a New Yorker, complained during his 2016 campaign that the airport, which his jet often used, had "potholes all over."
In total, the largely privately-funded 8-billion-dollar overhaul plan includes two new halls and 72 gates in six concourses, a 14-mile road for motorists driving to the airport, and rail service between midtown Manhattan and the Queens-located airport.
