LaGuardia Airport may have long lines, leaking ceilings and mold. But at least it has walls.
A new survey of about 26,000 passengers on airports all over the world deemed LaGuardia rock-bottom nationally but Nigeria’s Port Harcourt International Airport took honors for being the worst in the world.
Passengers criticized Nigeria’s airport for corrupt workers, broken air conditioning and a tent for new arrivals instead of an actual building with walls, according to the recently released survey. The Guide to Sleeping in Airports, a travel website, surveyed about 26,000 passengers on airports all over the world.
LaGuardia was christened the worst airport in North America, while Vancouver International Airport was named the best.
Flyers praised the Vancouver air hub for being comfortable and welcoming. Its perks include unlimited free Wi-Fi, showers, and luggage storage.While New York’s LaGuardia Airport has walls, Vice President Joe Biden likened it to a “third-world country” in 2014.
Gov. Cuomo announced a plan over the summer to overhaul it completely, with new terminals, ferry service, and an AirTrain.
Newark and JFK Airport did not do well in the passenger survey as well, ranking fifth and ninth worst respectively. The Port Authority did not immediately comment on it.
“Passengers know that our airports are too far behind the rest of the country,” said Joe Sitt, the chairman of the airport advocacy group Global Gateway Alliance.
“It’s good that there are major improvements planned, but those will take years. LaGuardia, JFK and Newark need better amenities and reduced delays now to bring them into the 21st century and change these poor perceptions.”
