Delta Investing Nearly US$1.4 billion in New York Airport Facilities

This week Delta Air Lines broke ground on a $160 million renovation and expansion of its facilities at New York LaGuardia Airport.

The project, which includes a 630-foot connector bridge linking Terminals C and D, a new Delta Sky Club in Terminal C and expanded security lanes in both terminals, comes as Delta creates a new domestic hub at LaGuardia, with service to 26 new cities by 11 July. It represents the largest expansion project at LaGuardia in more than 40 years.

The new bridge will allow Delta customers to walk between terminals behind security, providing easy access to departure and arrival gates and facilitating convenient connecting flights. Delta has operated out of both terminals since 25 March, when it began expanded service at LaGuardia.

Delta's renovations at LaGuardia will also support 700 new jobs along with additional jobs for construction.

Work is also underway on a $1.2 billion enhancement and expansion of Delta's facilities at New York John F. Kennedy Airport, where Delta operates an international hub.

"All together, with our expansion projects at JFK and LaGuardia, Delta is investing nearly $1.4 billion in our New York airport facilities," said Delta Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson. "No other airline is approaching that level of commitment to New York in the next 12 months."

The expansion includes a new Delta Sky Club in Terminal C that is expected to open this summer. Additionally the Delta Sky Club in Terminal D will undergo an expansion.

Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, pointed out that "investment in aviation infrastructure is one of the major ways to position the New York metropolitan region for the projected growth in passengers in the coming decades. We welcome and applaud Delta's plans to link and improve these important terminals at LaGuardia Airport, as the airline consolidates and expands operations for business and other travelers. Combined with its ongoing expansion of Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Delta is helping both our New York airports lay the critical groundwork for the region's future economic growth."

The airline will increase service at LaGuardia with 100 new flights in spring and summer 2012. When its full schedule is implemented, Delta will operate more than 260 daily flights between LaGuardia and more than 60 cities. Delta expanded its operations to Terminal C after reaching an agreement with US Airways to exchange takeoff and landing rights in New York and Washington, D.C.

Delta will operate many of the new LaGuardia routes with regional jets that offer two-class service and inflight Wi-Fi. Previously, these routes were served with smaller, turboprop aircraft.

Last month, Delta added service from LaGuardia to new business markets, including Dallas/Ft. Worth; Miami; Washington-Dulles; Syracuse, N.Y.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Rochester, N.Y.; Richmond, Va.; Norfolk, Va.; Manchester, N.H.; Burlington, Vt.; Greensboro, N.C., and Louisville, Ky.

The second phase of the expansion starts 11 July, when Delta will add new service from LaGuardia to Denver; Houston; Cleveland; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Milwaukee, Wis.; Charlotte, N.C.; Wilmington, N.C.; Roanoke, Va.; Charlottesville, Va.; and Myrtle Beach, S.C.

To further enhance its new domestic hub, Delta has increased frequencies from LaGuardia to cities that include Fort Lauderdale; Orlando; Jacksonville, Fla.; Ft. Myers, Fla.; Indianapolis; Chicago; Nashville; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Greenville, S.C.; Columbia, S.C.; Portland, Me.; and Bangor, Me.

Besides modernizing facilities at LaGuardia, Delta will, as part of its $1.2 billion expansion project at JFK, add nine additional gates to Terminal 4. That terminal, which will become Delta's international gateway, will include a state-of-the-art baggage handling system, additional Customs and security lanes and one of the largest Delta Sky Clubs in the airline's system.

At JFK, Delta also serves domestic cities with new routes that include Austin, Texas; Jacksonville, Fla.; Louisville, Ky.; Charleston, S.C.; Dayton, Ohio; Elmira, N.Y.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Greensboro, N.C. and New Orleans.

Delta's three metropolitan area airports carried 20.8 million domestic and international passengers in 2011 and the airline expects that number to rise to 24.6 million in 2012, mostly due to the increase at LaGuardia.

A portion of travel for some itineraries may be on the Delta Connection carriers: Chautauqua, Comair, Compass Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, GoJet Airlines, Mesaba, Pinnacle Airlines, Shuttle America dba Delta Shuttle, and SkyWest.

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