Once again, MacArthur Airport has been voted one of the top 10 small airports in the country, according to a reader poll on USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Long Island’s own placed 4th in the Best Small Airport category, which includes airports with fewer than 10 million passengers each year.
Last year, MacArthur Airport placed 4th in that category as well.
“The Long Island community really came together to support us, and we are so grateful,” said MacArthur Airport Commissioner Shelley LaRose-Arken. “We were honored when an independent panel of travel experts nominated MacArthur Airport and 14 other airports as friendlier and easier to use. Today, we celebrate a win for Long Island and our loyal MacArthur Airport customers.”
The awards competition describes the winning facilities as being “smaller, friendlier airports that take some of the headache out of travel” providing “easy access and amenities” and “places that inspire us.”
With Covid-19 adding an extra layer of difficulty when travelling, MacArthur Airport still stood out. In a Town of Islip press release announcing the win, the additional measures that airport leadership put into place to make the facility clean and comfortable as people begin to travel again were highlighted.
“We offer travelers COVID 19 appointment scheduling available right at the airport,” said LaRose-Arken. “We also provide an innovative 24/7 air purification system, and added antimicrobial films on high-touch surfaces. We always provide our customers extra space and limited lines. Those benefits along with upgrades to TSA systems are just a few of the things we are doing to offer peace of mind as customers get back to flying again when the time is right.”
The Top Ten winners in the Best Small Airport category are:
Myrtle Beach International Airport
Huntsville International Airport
T.F. Green Airport
Long Island MacArthur Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport
Paine Field
Bradley International Airport
Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Des Moines International Airport
Find the full results and additional information here.
Three major US domestic air carriers fly out of Long Island MacArthur Airport: American Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Together these carriers provide service to 10 cities nonstop, and connect to hundreds of destinations worldwide. The airport serves 1.6 million passengers annually and employs 6000 people directly and indirectly, with a $16 million annual operating budget and an economic impact of $600 million to the region and local economy.