Author: Julia Lauria-Blum
Julia Lauria-Blum
Julia Lauria-Blum earned a degree in the Visual Arts at SUNY New Paltz. An early interest in women aviation pioneers led her to research the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of WW II. In 2001 she curated the permanent WASP exhibit at the American Airpower Museum (AAM) in Farmingdale, NY, and later curated 'Women Who Brought the War Home, Women War Correspondents, WWII’ at the AAM. Julia is the former curatorial assistant at the Cradle of Aviation Museum and is currently an editor for Metropolitan Airport News.
The historic Neir’s Tavern, a Queens landmark in Woodhaven, New York, renowned for its classic American pub fare, has opened a new location at Terminal 8 of JFK International Airport. Situated in Concourse C near Gate 32, Neir’s Tavern offers Terminal 8 passengers an authentic New York experience right before takeoff. As part of the $125 million commercial transformation of Terminal 8, the new Neir’s Tavern emulates the look, feel, and ambiance of the original 1829 Woodhaven landmark, which at 196 years old stands as one of America’s oldest continuously operating bars. Through a partnership with MERA, ASUR Airports, American…
From predictive tarmac choreography to AI-driven maintenance, smart technologies are quietly transforming chaotic terminals into seamless, data-driven hubs. Modern airport terminals are highly complex transitional spaces. While travelers only see a sequence of check-in halls, security checkpoints, and departure gates, the infrastructure behind the scenes supports one of the most demanding logistics operations in the world. Historically, airport operators relied on static schedules, past averages, and reactive decision-making to manage daily flows. Now, the industry is shifting. By integrating predictive software, airports are transforming how they manage daily operations, maintain critical assets, and design future infrastructure. The air travel industry…
On June 10, 2026, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) canceled its plans to purchase 40 acres of the former Lawrence Aviation Industries Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station. The land transfer was originally intended to build a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train yard as a critical first step toward modernizing and electrifying the diesel-powered Port Jefferson branch. To support the upgrade, the Suffolk County Landbank Corp. had initially agreed to transfer the 40-acre parcel of land to the MTA for a nominal $10 fee. Lawrence Aviation Industries was once a lucrative business based in Port Jefferson Station in the…
I recently received correspondence from Geoffrey Arend Sr., who commented on my April 2026 Editor’s Notebook article, ‘An Art Deco Icon at Newark Liberty International Airport’. Geoffrey Arend Sr. is an aviation historian and author who led campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s to preserve Newark Airport’s historic 1934 Building One, an Art Deco masterpiece. As publisher of Air Cargo News and author of Great Airports: Newark International, he launched a massive 1979 public campaign that successfully prevented the structure from being demolished. Arend’s advocacy highlighted the building’s architectural and historical significance, including its status as the first commercial passenger…
On Monday, June 1, 2026, airport officials, hospitality leaders, and local representatives gathered post-TSA security near Gate 25 at JFK International Airport Terminal 5 for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event marked the formal opening of three celebrated New York City culinary institutions: The Halal Guys, and Nom Wah Tea Parlor, and Melt Shop. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was preceded by a Lion Dance, performed by the Asian United Corp. Co. from New Hyde Park. This vibrant, traditional Chinese performance is often held during festive celebrations, cultural parades, and grand openings to bring good fortune and prosperity.’ “We are excited to welcome The…
Daniel “Dan” Dameo, 89, passed away peacefully at home in Bridgewater, New Jersey, surrounded by his loving family on May 21, 2026. Dan, a highly accomplished and nationally acclaimed aviator in the warbird and airshow community, attended Syracuse University and graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Business. He married Joan Soper of Malone, New York, in 1956, and their joyful marriage lasted nearly 70 years. He spent his professional career alongside his brother, Rocque, his sister, Virginia, and his nephews, building the family business, Dameo Trucking, founded by his father in 1936. Beyond his family, Dan’s true passion…
The QueensLink and QueensWay initiatives are competing blueprints for the transformation of the 3.5-mile Rockaway Beach Branch, an abandoned Long Island Rail Road line and landscape running through central and southern Queens. While both proposals aim to reclaim this derelict rail line and space- untouched since 1962-their conflicting visions offer drastically different outcomes for the borough’s infrastructure and community life. The debate revolves around a disused, abandoned municipal rail corridor stretching from Rego Park to the Rockaways. New York City officials are now weighing two competing visions: QueensLink, which proposes a multi-modal approach by layering a new subway extension beneath…
From runways to subways, Queens functions as a critical transit hub where multi-billion dollar airport modernizations intersect with a complex network of rail and bus lines serving millions of daily commuters. Queens County is the largest of New York City’s five boroughs by land area and occupies the easternmost section of the City. Located at the western end of Long Island, adjacent to Brooklyn, it is bordered by the East River and Long Island Sound to the north and Jamaica Bay to the south. The borough spans 109 square miles of land, totaling 178 square miles when including its waterways. The southern portion of…
This past Thursday, the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York, hosted an evening cocktail reception for the opening of an historic and landmark mural called The Pre-Lindbergh Era of American Aviation, by artist and aviator Aline ‘Pat’ Rhonie. Aline Rhonie was a pioneering pilot who learned to fly in 1930 in Reno, Nevada, and at Roosevelt Field on Long Island during the Golden Age of Aviation. By the end of 1931, Rhonie earned her transport license, and in 1933, she helped found the Luscombe Airplane Company in Kansas City, Missouri. The following year, in 1934, Aline became…
On April 17, Wilson Technological Center celebrated the Class of 2026’s achievements at the Aviation Maintenance Technology Recognition Ceremony, held at the Western Suffolk BOCES Republic Aviation campus in Farmingdale. Wilson Tech’s 1,910-hour Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program prepares students to become FAA-certified Airframe and Powerplant technicians in an extensive, state-of-the-art hangar where they gain hands-on experience under FAA-certified instructors. The ceremony began with Diana Santiago, Executive Director of Career & Technical Education, and Lisa Romanowski, Principal, welcoming and introducing the program to a standing-room-only crowd of attendees and guests. Following a heartfelt address by the keynote speaker, Andrea Adragna…