MacArthur Airport Voted #3 Best Small Airport in U.S.

Town of Islip and Suffolk County residents are regularly treated to having a convenient, reliable airport just a stone’s throw away from their front doors.

Now, Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) has another accolade to further cement its community standing.

The results from the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards are in and ISP earned third place as the best small airport in the nation. Last year, ISP earned fifth place, giving the facility a bump of two positions to claim third overall among a crowded field of other viable candidates. This is the fourth consecutive year that ISP has made the top-ten nationally.

The voting period opened on August 26 and lasted twenty-eight days.

“Our loyal airport customers and the community really showed their enthusiastic support this year with consistent voting across Long Island. We are proud to be one of the top three winners in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Small Airport,” said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip). “The award validates our hard work each day to provide an excellent customer experience at Islip’s MacArthur Airport.”

The qualifiers for the top-twenty airports, as outlined by USA Today 10Best describes the facilities as “friendlier” and “easier to use” than other transit hubs. These airports “serve smaller numbers of passengers each year, yet excel with their commercial flight offerings, easy access, and amenities.”

“This type of award captures the attention of air travelers across the U.S. and raises Long Island’s profile with potential passengers and visitors to our region. Air carriers also take notice of these top airports as they carefully evaluate new routes to serve,” said Airport Commissioner Shelley LaRose-Arken.

Town of Islip officials and ISP leadership recently broke a figurative bottle of champagne on Breeze Airways’ inaugural flight to Fort Myers, Florida, (RSW). The relatively new, low-cost carrier has recently announced a slew of new destinations from Islip, including, but not limited to, Sarasota, Florida (SRQ), and Vero Beach, Florida (VRB).

Breeze also maintains routes from ISP to Portland, Maine (PWM), Richmond, Virginia (RIC), Charleston, South Carolina (CHS), Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU), and Norfolk, Virginia (ORF). The airline also operates connecting routes, via its aptly named “Breeze-thru” services, to New Orleans, Louisiana (MSY), and Jacksonville, Florida (JAX).

Breeze also offers seasonal service to Portland, Maine, Richmond, Virginia, and Vero Beach.

MacArthur also services Baltimore, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach through Southwest Airlines, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach through Frontier Airlines – with seasonal service to Fort Myers and Myrtle Beach. Southwest is also beginning service to Miami on November 3.

The airport also recently announced the start of JetBlue service from ISP to Fort Lauderdale, beginning October 25, and Orlando and West Palm Beach, both starting October 24.

“This year’s 10Best top ranking – especially competing against airports that are larger than us – is a win for our entire region. MacArthur Airport is an economic engine for the region and the progress and recognition we are seeing at ISP points to a strong future for Long Island. We are most grateful to everyone who voted each day and put their positive energy towards ISP – Long Island’s Hometown Airport,” said Supervisor Carpenter.”

With a $16 million annual operating budget, MacArthur Airport employs 6,000 people directly and indirectly, which generates a $600 million impact to the regional and local economies. The MacArthur Business Alliance is a key player in the ISP core area, uniting businesses and interests within the area who promote and benefit from ISP’s economic impact.

Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) topped the list as the number-one small airport in the country, followed by Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), with ISP rounding out the top trio.

The list continues: Rhode Island T.F. Green International (PVD), Patrick Leahy Burlington International (BTV), Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National (ICT), Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International (ROC), Manchester-Boston Regional (MHT), Huntsville International Airport (HSV), and Piedmont Triad International (GSO).

The ranking also reinforces Supervisor Carpenter and company’s research in making ISP the economic and recreational powerhouse that it is. The team has researched similar airports and economic hubs across the country to better mimic that success here. One of those airports, as Carpenter noted to The Messenger earlier this year, was Huntsville International, which earned the ninth spot on the list.