The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced that for the second consecutive year, LaGuardia Airport was named North America’s best airport in its class based on the highest passenger satisfaction rating that the airport has ever received. The top marks, which were released Monday, came from passengers who reviewed the airport for overall satisfaction for the highly regarded Airport ServiceQuality (ASQ) survey in 2024, amounting to a continued, dramatic reversal of fortunes for the once-reviled airport.
The ASQ passenger survey, a program of the Airports Council International (ACI), was conducted throughout 2024 after the completion of an $8 billion transformation that replaced under-sized and antiquated terminals with new state-of-the-art passenger facilities. The airport earned an overall passenger satisfaction score of 4.30 out of 5, which is 21.5 percent higher than its score in 2018, when the ASQ survey of passengers rated LaGuardia as the worst airport in North America.
“The ASQ award is based on direct assessments from those who matter the most – the air travelers who are using LaGuardia Airport in record numbers,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton.“When we started out on our $8 billion transformation of LaGuardia with our private partners, Delta Air Lines and LaGuardia Gateway Partners, few believed we could transform the nation’s most reviled airport into the world-class airport our region deserves. But this second ASQ award proves yet again that seeing is believing.”
“LaGuardia’s latest award for best North American airport in its class proves that passengers who are traveling through LaGuardia in record numbers are reaping the benefits of our historic public-private investment at the airport,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “When we started this $8 billion transformation, we said we would take LaGuardia from worst to best. Today, it’s our customers who are saying: ‘Mission accomplished.’”
“In an era where passenger expectations are evolving rapidly, excellence in customer service is the key to ensuring airports remain memorable destinations in themselves,” said ACI World Director GeneralJustin Erbacci. “Congratulations to LaGuardia Airport for its success in the renowned Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards, and for redefining the airport experience!”
Since 2018, when the first ASQ survey of LaGuardia took place, the airport’s satisfaction ratings have risen steadily along with the completion of passenger facilities. That increase continued through 2024 as the final components of Delta Air Lines’s new Terminal C were opened. In the final quarter of 2024, LaGuardia posted a rating of 4.41 – the highest quarterly rating the airport has ever received.
“With back-to-back ASQ awards for best airport, there is no doubt that we at Delta, alongside our partners at the Port Authority and LaGuardia Gateway Partners, have created a truly world-class airport, which is exactly what we aimed to deliver for our customers,” said Ryan Marzullo, managing director of New York corporate real estate at Delta Air Lines. “Delta’s commitment to growing – and winning – in New York is unwavering, and receiving this honor is made even more special this year as Delta celebrates its centennial anniversary.”
“Earning this coveted distinction for a second consecutive year shows the enduring commitment that all of us at LaGuardia Airport have toward creating an exceptional guest experience each and every day,” said Suzette Noble, chief executive officer of LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the developer and manager of the airport’s Terminal B. “None of this would be possible without the support of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and our partners, Vantage Group and Meridiam. We will continue to deliver an airport experience for our guests that is second to none.”
ASQ surveys are conducted in-person with passengers at the departure gates. Surveys are fielded throughout the quarter according to defined sampling parameters and constitute a representative random sample of airport passengers. ASQ surveys are the primary source for measuring customer satisfaction, which are benchmarked against other airports.
Satisfaction with nearly every individual attribute tracked by ASQ increased from 2023 to 2024 at LaGuardia. The most significant improvements in satisfaction were with walking distance, restaurants, gate areas, wayfinding, connections, wi-fi, and washrooms.
Acclaim for Port Authority airports includes:
2025:
- Airport Service Quality Award, Best North American Terminal in its Class, LaGuardia Airport
- Skytrax, 5-Star rating, LaGuardia’s Terminal B
2024:
- Forbes Travel Guide, Nation’s Best Airport: LaGuardia Airport
- Skytrax, 5-Star rating and World’s Best New Airport Terminal: Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A
- UNESCO’s Prix Versailles for Exterior Design: Newark Liberty’s Terminal A
- Business Traveller Magazine, Nation’s Best Airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
2023:
- Skytrax, 5-Star rating and World’s Best New Airport Terminal: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
- Business Traveller Magazine, Nation’s Best Airport: JFK
- American Society of Civil Engineers, NJ, Project of the Year: Newark Liberty’s Terminal A
- U.S. Green Building Council, LEED gold certifications: Newark Liberty’s Terminal A and LaGuardia’s Terminal B
- Rick Hansen Accessibility Certification, gold rating: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
2022:
- National Academy of Construction, Recognition of Special Achievement Award: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
- National Design-Build Institute of America, National Award of Excellence in Aviation: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
- Urban Land Institute/NY Excellence in Civic Development: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
2021:
- UNESCO’s Prix Versailles, World’s Best New Airport: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
- Conde Nast Traveler Hot List, Best New Way to Travel: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
- Queens Chamber of Commerce Building Awards, Best Public Work Infrastructure and Civil Project: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
- Municipal Art Society of NY Masterworks Award, Best New Infrastructure: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
- US Green Building Council LEED gold v4 certification: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
2020:
- Engineering News Record, Best Projects Award NYC: LaGuardia’s Terminal B
