LI MacArthur Airport Ranked On 50 Best Airports List: Report

ISLIP, NY — Long Island MacArthur Airport has been recognized as one of the best airports in the country by "The Washington Post."

MacArthur ranked 46 on a list of international airports including LaGuardia Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

"We are thrilled that Long Island MacArthur Airport has earned national recognition from 'The Washington Post.' Ranking alongside some of the country’s largest and busiest airports speaks volumes about the quality of our service, the ease of access and overall experience we offer travelers," said Supervisor Angie Carpenter. "This acknowledgment reinforces our commitment to continued investment in our airport and our community."

The publication used data collected through individual responses and analysis, considering parameters that travelers value the most, Islip officials said in a statement. In addition, the newspaper said it only considered airports that served over 1,000 passengers last year and also looked at amenities such as parking and gate capacity. After evaluating over 450 airports, the article provided the top 50 according to these guidelines.

"To be ranked among the top 50 airports in the U.S. is a tremendous honor," said Airport Commissioner Rob Schneider. "Our team is always working to enhance the passenger experience, from expanding destinations to improving terminal facilities. We’ve also recently welcomed developers to the airport to explore future expansion opportunities that align with our long-term growth plans. This recognition reaffirms the positive direction we’re headed and the value we place on making MacArthur Airport a top-tier travel option."

Long Island MacArthur Airport has doubled the number of direct destinations available to travelers since 2011 and has also upgraded the airport and airfield.

Cape Air is the latest airline to launch a new route out of MacArthur and is celebrating its inaugural flight to Boston, MA, on Thursday.

Cape Air's presence at MacArthur follows several other new and recent flight additions out of the airport on both Breeze and JetBlue.

In October 2024, Breeze began flying round-trip between Fort Myers and MacArthur.

Also in October, JetBlue launched daily flights between Islip and Orlando, and flights between Islip and Fort Lauderdale and Islip and Palm Beach, both four times a week.

In November, Breeze started flying directly from Islip to Sarasota, FL.

In early 2025, New York State committed to invest a "transformational" $150 million to connect the Long Island Rail Road’s Ronkonkoma Station with the proposed $40 million North Terminal at MacArthur Airport, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

In 2024, MacArthur was voted the third best small airport in USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards Competition.

Click here to read "The Washington Post" article.