Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Airport Experts Deem LaGuardia The 14th Worst Airport On Earth


By

David Colon

Published Oct 20, 2017

Modified Oct 20, 2017


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Tfw LaGuardia.

 

Andrew Burton/Getty Images


By

David Colon

Published Oct 20, 2017

Modified Oct 20, 2017


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

As you all know, North American air travelers would rather get a root canal from a drunk dentist using her elbows to hold and maneuver all the sharp painful stuff than ever have to visit LaGuardia Airport. Where does the shame of New York City rank when stacked up against the rest of the world though? Turns out not so great, as a recent airport survey called LaGuardia the 14th worst airport on the planet Earth. Okay okay fine, but let's see how it does if we expand the survey to include other planets!

The readers of airport guide Sleeping In Airports contributed to the website's list of the 20 least appealing, most depressing, downright distressing airports to have to drag your carry-on roll bags through. Nestled in between number 13 (Nepal's Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport) and number 15 (Greece's Chania International Airport) sits LaGuardia Airport. Incredibly, LaGuardia is both the sole American airport out of the 20 on the list, and the only North American airport on it as well.

Pull quotes from the surveys that Sleeping in Airports highlighted for LaGuardia are as follows:

Unreal for a major city. It is such an ugly site for a beautiful city. Get it together!!!

LaGuardia is the perfect definition of a 3rd world airport in a developing country acting as a 1st world airport, no other way to explain it.

In addition to the airport's leaky ceilings, the website also made note of the LaGuardia's status as an accidental homeless shelter and its famously nice rate of delays.

The kindest thing Sleeping in Airports could say about the forthcoming, 63 percent less hellish version of the airport is that while LaGuardia II "may not address the significant delays, when completed in 2021, it may at least result in a more comfortable wait." Well, it's a good thing there's plenty to do on a staycation for anyone who lives here.

Tagged

laguardia airport

more like hellport

terrible airports


David Colon

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say

Police are investigating a related incident in which a 62-year-old woman was found injured beneath the Van Wyck Expressway.

By

Charles Lane

Published Oct 14, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. ET


Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves

The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.

By

Arya Sundaram

and

Samantha Max

News

Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves

The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.

By

Arya Sundaram

and

Samantha Max


Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid

By

Carol Chen

National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter

By

Rosemary Misdary

Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law

By

Jon Campbell


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .