Angelo has always had a clear vision of where he wanted his career to go, and it was always centered on aviation. After completing an internship with Northwest Airlines at 17 years old, he went on to attend Long Island’s Dowling College receiving his degree in Aviation Management with a minor in Business.
While in school, he completed an internship with Terminal 4/JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT) which led to a permanent position as an Operations & Facilities Manager. In 2016, he was offered a new position in Operations with LaGuardia Gateway Partners to work on the LGA Terminal B redevelopment just before groundbreaking.
Angelo has always had a passion for design & architecture and quickly immersed himself in the redevelopment, learning as much as he could about project management, phasing, and the impact of construction on operations. His passion for the work led him from a role in Operations to Facilities before being promoted to the Director of Operations in 2021. A proud Queens native, Angelo is inspired by his experience seeing the project come to fruition during his time with the company, from the start of the project to the recent completion of the passenger facilities. He believes a positive outlook in your work daily is the key to a great guest experience as well as in the quest to find fulfillment in the daily work of the terminal.
1 As Director of Operations, what are your responsibilities at LGA’s new Terminal B?
At a high level, my job is largely engaged in the management of day-of-operations as they relate to passenger & aircraft flow through the facility. I oversee a staff of 48 operations specialists, ramp controllers & managers who work throughout the building to ensure safety, security, and efficient operations, creating an exceptional guest experience. This work involves a tremendous amount of cross-functional partnership which the team is executing in the field every day; we work closely with the TSA, airline partners, vendors, contractors, the Federal Aviation Administration, and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to keep the Terminal operating smoothly. I am also regularly reviewing key performance indicators with an eye to promoting continuous improvement in our operations.
2 What is an important or interesting aspect of maintaining a new facility such as Terminal B?
Our team is incredibly proud of the now over 90% complete Terminal B. With modern amenities, innovative design, and family-friendly spaces, it showcases the vision to build a 21st-century terminal that is a leader in guest experience, innovation, and sustainability. Beyond the state-of-the-art structure, though, is an incredible team of people who work across a wide variety of disciplines and departments to keep the facility operating daily. For myself, helping develop & train our staff to deliver an exceptional experience every day is the most important part of the work we do to maintain the facility.
3 There are so many new and interesting details at the new terminal. What features are most appreciated by the passengers and employees?
I would have to say that our twin pedestrian skybridges are one of the most commonly commented-on features; guests love the experience of taxiing underneath them as well as plane spotting from a comfortable chair on them. From an operations standpoint, this unique architectural feature will deliver an additional two miles of taxiway to the airport which will greatly improve the experience of arriving or departing by increasing the efficiency of aircraft movements.
From an employee standpoint, working with all-new equipment and state-of-the-art technology affords them great opportunities for training & development. And, beyond that, employees are empowered to focus on innovation and process improvement versus a heavier focus on just keeping the equipment running that we might have had, out of necessity, in the now decommissioned Central Terminal Building. Employees are also enjoying the new facility overall, especially all of the great new dining options!
4 With the return of passengers after a light two years, what are you learning about the facility with increased traffic?
I’d say one lesson that jumps out to me right away is probably something most of us learnt quickly at the onset of the pandemic—that our success hinges on all partners in the terminal working collectively towards our goals. As passenger volume has increased, keeping a focus on how we can all collaborate to provide the best experience possible has been essential to our success.
In many ways, we benefitted from opening the Arrivals & Departures Hall during a quieter time for air travel because it afforded us the opportunity to prepare the facility for COVID-19 safety protocols that would truly instill confidence in passengers to return. We’re proud to be GBAC/ACI accredited as part of the overall airport and make the safety of our colleagues and passengers our top priority every day.
5 What is the best part of your day?
I genuinely enjoy interacting with our guests; seeing how I can help them and making them feel welcome is always the best part of my day. When I’m out and about in the Terminal, I’m often looking at miscellaneous to-do’s that my team might need to address, and constantly brainstorm on operational efficiencies. No matter how focused on these items I might be, I always make a point to say hello to a new vendor employee I haven’t met yet or scan the area around me to see if there’s a guest with a question that I can help with. I’m always gratified to learn a bit more about our guests and partners and if I can make someone’s experience at Terminal B a positive one, that’s a huge win for me always!.
