Former Pete McGowan Concourse

 airport, politics, concourse

 Upload a photo

On August 4, 2004, Southwest Airlines moved into its own gate area named for former Islip town supervisor Peter J. McGowan. It consisted of a pub, a small food court, a CNBC store, four brand new gates, shops and eateries. The new concourse and gates are separate from the rest of the MacArthur Airport terminal.

As of September 2005, the newly formed "Committee to Rename MacArthur Airport Concourse" was calling on the Town of Islip to change the name of MacArthur Airport's Peter J. McGowan Concourse to Veterans Concourse in honor of its servicemen and women.

McGowan resigned as town supervisor on March 9, 2006 after being indicted on felony counts of grand larceny, tampering with a witness, bribe receiving, and filing a false instrument. The airport has consequently removed all references to his name in the new concourse from signage.