The New York area has the nation’s three worst airports, according to a recent study by travel publication, The Points Guy.
The study examined the 30 busiest airports in the nation, looking at factors such as timeliness, accessibility and amenities. LaGuardia Airport was ranked as the worst, followed by John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International.
"Yes, all three of the major NYC-area airports landed at the bottom of the barrel in our rankings," The Points Guy reported. "LaGuardia earned the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of flight delays and cancellations, the second-longest drive time (tied with Newark and Denver) and extortionate parking rates to top it all off ($29 per day or higher). At JFK, you can expect both the longest drive times (over an hour) and the longest waits to get through security (nearly 17 minutes), and while Newark Liberty isn’t the lowest-ranked in any one area, it suffers from lackluster ratings across the board — except when it comes to where to eat."
Phoenix Sky Harbor International topped the list as the best airport, followed by Portland International at No. 2 and San Diego International at No. 3.
Fifty percent of the study’s rating measured flight delays, cancellations, and security wait times, The New York Times noted.
"People don’t realize what we have is a lot worse than what other people deal with," said Brian Kelly, a New Yorker and the founder and chief executive of The Points Guy, according to the Times.
In 2014, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. described LaGuardia Airport as that of a "third world country."
According to The Times, the three New York-area airports are undergoing changes.
In July, Biden and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York announced an overhaul of $8 billion for LaGuardia Airport, which calls for it to be torn down and replaced by 2021, The Times noted. Under the plan, a rail link will create a pathway for travelers between the airport and the subway station in the Willets Point section of Queens, which will also have an impact on ferry service.
As for JFK, a change can be expected as soon as 2017, as the Port Authority is working on runway reconstruction that’s expected to increase its capacity.
Newark has made "significant improvements in on-time performance and delay metrics during peak periods of demand," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a news release. As a result, the FAA planned to increase capacity at the airport by designating it as a Level 2, schedule-facilitated airport, beginning Oct. 30. The airport previously was limited to 81 operations per hour.