Long Island MacArthur Airport (colloquially referred to as MacArthur Airport, MacArthur, or by its original name, Islip Airport) is a public airport in Ronkonkoma in the Town of Islip, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The Town of Islip owns and operates the airport, which serves about two million airline passengers a year, as well as general aviation. Long Island MacArthur Airport (LIMA) covers 1,311 acres (531 ha) and has three runways and two helipads. MacArthur Airport serves Nassau and Suffolk counties as an alternative to John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports – both of which are located in the Borough of Queens in New York City. Shuttle buses connect the airport to the Long Island Rail Road's Ronkonkoma station. The FAA designated LIMA an Official Metro Airport in early 2011, meaning it is now grouped with LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark in travel and informational searches for New York airports, providing better exposure. MacArthur Airport does not share the congested airspace of the city-centric airports and has an exceptional record of on-time performance. In 2009, 83.6% of flights arrived on time and 85.6% of flights departed on time. In 2017 the airport served more than 1.29 million airline passengers. In 2016 it had 124,154 aircraft operations, an average of 340 per day; 84% general aviation; 7% scheduled airline; 6% air taxi and 2% military. In July 2018, 247 aircraft were based at Islip: 141 single-engine, 30 multi-engine, 36 jets, 31 helicopters, and 9 military. The Town-owned Foreign Trade Zone is next to the airport property. MacArthur Airport was originally named Islip Airport, and following General Douglas MacArthur's world-famous escape from the Philippines, it was renamed in his honor. History Early years In April 1942 the Town of Islip contracted with the federal government to build an airfield on town-owned land for military use. Within months the Civil Aeronautics Administration – the predecessor to today's Federal Aviation Administration – funded construction of three paved runways. Originally named Islip Airport, at the suggestion of Charles H. Duryea, a local elected official, the airport was renamed MacArthur Airport after General Douglas MacArthur, whose dramatic escape from the Philippines had captured the attention of the world. In 1944 Lockheed Aircraft Corporation built the first hangar at the airport. Five years later the Town built the airport's first terminal building preparing for airline flights. Through the 1950s the Sperry Corporation conducted aerospace research