LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building Project Featured in Airport Improvement Magazine

Arora Engineers, Inc. (Arora) is proud to be part of the team as the Lead Fire/Life Safety Engineer for the New Arrivals & Departures Hall at LaGuardia Terminal B featured in the September issue of Airport Improvement Magazine. The Terminal Building portion of the project consists of the Terminal Headhouse, Concourses A and B, West Garage Connector, Portal Building, and Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant (CHRP).

The new terminal is four stories in height and approximately 1,500,000 square feet in area, with approximately 35 gates. Most of the space in the CTB is classified as Assembly due to the larger occupancy loads and includes hold rooms, screening areas, restaurants, airline clubs, baggage claim areas, and arrival check-in areas. The remaining uses include business occupancies for offices, conference spaces with lower occupancy loads (i.e. not assembly) and airport operations; Mercantile Occupancies for retail spaces; and storage for miscellaneous storage and baggage handling areas.

One of the project’s most distinct elements is a pair of pedestrian bridges that span active taxi lanes and connect the newly opened arrivals and departures hall (also known as the headhouse) to the terminal’s two concourses. The dual bridges—one complete, one currently under construction— allow contractors to build over the top of the existing terminal, which saves significant construction time and minimizes impact to ongoing airport operations. Many consider the headhouse to be one of the most complex airport projects completed. The facility’s large scale and small footprint, combined with the need to build right on top of an active operating terminal, significantly increased the project’s level of difficulty.

A portion of the project was nearing completion in mid-March when COVID-19 struck New York City. This project was deemed essential by state officials, and therefore the mandate was to continue working. New protocols and practices were implemented regarding safe distancing, face coverings, hand washing, cleaning and other safety measures.

LaGuardia Gateway Partners put numerous measures in place at the new facility to enhance safety for passengers and airport workers. With the safety measures in place, the project was completed on time and on budget with a nearly perfect safety record.

Congratulations to the entire project team for successfully completing this project safely and efficiently. To read the entire Airport Improvement Magazine article, click here.