How are you getting to and from the Hamptons? If it’s Blade or PJ, good on you. Do you want to be friends? If it’s LIRR, Jitney, or JFK – let me introduce you to the exclusive world of Central Islip…and the MacArthur Airport. This is not a paid advertisement, just a genuine passion for “The Mac,” as I like to call the airport.
While commercial air travel can be undignified, at MacArthur, they make it feel like the king of coach.
Firstly, MacArthur Airport does not share the congested air space of the city-centric airports, has fewer delays and cancelations, and is a 5-minute ride to the LIRR. You pull up to endless rolling acres of parking, never seen it overflow. Plus, it’s almost quaint that nobody shoos you away from the pick-up lane if you aren’t actively picking someone up in that exact minute.
As the local saying goes, “Don’t Sleep on Islip.” In 2020 and 2021 MacArthur Airport was a Top 10 winner in the USA Today 10 Best Awards for Best Small Airports. ISP offers numerous amenities that make travel easy—free Wi-Fi, in-terminal restaurants and nearby hotels.
This quaint hub might not cater exclusively to private jets like its cousins in East Hampton or Westhampton, but whisper it quietly: it feels just as private when compared to the giants.
Did you know that the Suffolk County Athletic Hall of Fame is:
- A real thing
- Plastered on the walls of the MacArthur Airport
- Includes former Minnesota Vikings Coach, Mike Tice
- Boomer Esiason is from Suffolk County?? Who knew!
- All of the above.
The Goodyear blimp even comes to Islip! Some things never get old!
No elected officials have ever called MacArthur Airport a “third-world nation,” as a sitting vice president famously said of Laguardia Airport. After a car service or, (GASP) long-term parking at JFK, you might have doubled the expense of your trip.
Origin Story:
Initially opened for military application on town-owned land in response to the attacks at Pearl Harbor. Once the Islip Airport, it would later be renamed MacArthur Airport, in honor of WWII General Douglas MacArthur.
In the shadow of behemoths like JFK and Newark, MacArthur stands proud in Suffolk County, an oasis of calm. Imagine strolling through security without the fear of losing a shoe, or finding a seat at the gate that doesn’t require a reconnaissance mission. You won’t need an app or a map or GPS-location to find somewhere to eat.
Recent years have shown more and more New Yorkers relocating South, ISP has added direct flights to Charleston, SC; Raleigh/Durham, NC; Atlanta, GA; and Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Seriously, if you’re going to The Hamptons, don’t forget about ISP or, “The Mac.” Every hour of the Summer counts, so skip the City traffic and Sunrise Highway stress—fly to Islip’s MacArthur Airport, call a cab, and let the Summer start early!
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