Cuomo to Address Aging Airports in State of the State

In a rambling ode to infrastructure investment, Vice President Joe Biden criticized the condition of U.S. airports, which he said are outdated.

“If I blindfolded you and took you into an airport in China or Hong Kong, and you looked around, and I asked you where you were, assuming it was totally empty, most of you would say, this is what I want, this must be America,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s disaster relief plan. “The most modern airports are in other parts of the world.”

Cuomo hinted that New York City’s airports, which have some of the country’s worst delays, would be addressed in his State of the State address.

“Even here in New York, La Guardia, JFK, are inexcusable, frankly, that they have not redeveloped to keep pace with the best international airports, and that’s something we’re going to do,” he said.

The Global Gateway Alliance, a coalition pushing for airport improvements, applauded the governor’s comments.

“The governor is right, and we thank him for giving voice to the reason our coalition came together,” said Joe Sitt, the group’s chairman. “New York airports are vital, but they aren’t up to 21st century standards.”