LaGuardia Airport
Encyclopedia
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island
in the City of New York
. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay
, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria
, Jackson Heights
and East Elmhurst
. The airport was originally named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport after aviation pioneer Glenn Hammond Curtiss then renamed North Beach Airport, The official name after New York City's takeover and reconstruction was New York Municipal Airport-LaGuardia Field then in 1953 named solely "LaGuardia Airport" for Fiorello La Guardia, the mayor of New York when the airport was built. In 1960, it was voted the "greatest airport in the world" by the worldwide aviation community. The airport is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
.
LaGuardia is the smallest of the New York metropolitan area
's three primary commercial airports, the other two of which are John F. Kennedy International Airport
in southern Queens and Newark Liberty International Airport
in Newark, New Jersey
, and the closest of the three to Manhattan
. It is larger than nearby alternative airports Long Island MacArthur Airport
in Suffolk County
, Westchester County Airport
in Westchester County, and Stewart International Airport
in Newburgh, New York. La Guardia is popular because of its central location and proximity to Manhattan. In spite of the airport's small size, wide-body aircraft
once visited regularly; the McDonnell Douglas DC-10
and Lockheed L-1011
were specifically designed for use at La Guardia. From 2000 to 2005, Delta operated the 767-400ER with 285 seats. Today, there are no scheduled widebody flights, though occasionally Delta Air Lines
rotates a Boeing 767-300 in for one of its Atlanta flights. The airport serves as a focus city
for American Airlines
, American Eagle
and US Airways Express
.
Most flights from LaGuardia go to destinations within the United States and Canada
, as well as service to Aruba
, the Bahamas, and Bermuda
, because those destinations are staffed with United States border preclearance
facilities. The airport has INS/FIS facilities capable of processing customs and immigration on arriving international flights; the facilities are insufficient to handle efficiently the number of passengers that a non-precleared scheduled airline service would require. LaGuardia is the busiest airport in the United States without any non-stop service to and from Europe
. A perimeter rule prohibits nonstop flights to or from points beyond 1,500 statute miles (2,400 km) (except flights on Saturdays and flights to Denver), so most transcontinental and international flights use JFK or Newark.
In 2010, the airport handled just under 24.0 million passengers; JFK handled 46.5 million and Newark handled 33.1 million, making for a total of approximately 104 million travelers using New York airports, which is the largest airport system in the United States, largest in the world in terms of flight operations, and second in the world (after London) in terms of passenger traffic.
LaGuardia ranked last out of 66 airports in the United States in a passenger satisfaction survey compiled by J.D. Power and Associates
. Out of 31 airports surveyed in 2009, La Guardia, together with Newark Liberty International Airport
, ranked last for on-time arrivals.
The current site of the airport was originally used by the Gala Amusement Park, owned by the Steinway
family. It was razed and transformed in 1929 into a 105 acres (42.5 ha) private flying field. The airport was originally named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport after the pioneer Long Island aviator, and later called North Beach Airport.
The initiative to develop the airport for commercial flights began with a verbal outburst by New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia (in office from 1934 to 1945) upon the arrival of his TWA
flight at Newark — the only commercial airport serving the New York City region at the time — as his ticket said "New York". He demanded to be taken to New York, and ordered the plane to be flown to Brooklyn
's Floyd Bennett Field
, giving an impromptu press conference to reporters along the way. At that time, he urged New Yorkers to support a new airport within their city.
American Airlines
accepted La Guardia's offer to start a pilot program of scheduled flights to Floyd Bennett, although the program failed after several months because of Newark's relative proximity to Manhattan
. La Guardia went as far as to offer police escorts to airport limousines, in an attempt to get American Airlines to continue operating the pilot program.
During the Floyd Bennett experiment, La Guardia and American executives began an alternative plan to build a new airport in Queens
, where it could take advantage of the new Queens-Midtown Tunnel to Manhattan. The existing North Beach Airport was an obvious location, but much too small for the sort of airport that was being planned. With backing and assistance from the Works Progress Administration
, construction began in 1937. Building on the site required moving landfill from Rikers Island
, then a garbage dump, onto a metal reinforcing framework. The framework below the airport still causes magnetic interference on the compasses of outgoing aircraft: signs on the airfield warn pilots about the problem.
Because of American's pivotal role in the development of the airport, La Guardia gave the airline extra real estate during the airport's first year of operation, including four hangars (an unprecedented amount of space at the time). American also opened its first Admirals Club (and the first private airline club in the world) at the airport in 1939. The club's space was originally a large office space reserved for the mayor, but after receiving criticism in the press, La Guardia offered to lease out the space, and American vice president Red Mosier immediately accepted the offer.
The airport was dedicated on October 15, 1939, as the New York Municipal Airport, and opened for business on that December 2. It cost New York City $23 million to turn the tiny North Beach Airport into a 550 acres (222.6 ha) modern facility. Not everyone was as enthusiastic as La Guardia about the project, some regarded it as a $40-million boondoggle. But the public was fascinated by the very idea of air travel, and thousands traveled to the airport, paid the dime fee, and watched the airliners take off and land. Two years later these fees and their associated parking had already provided $285,000, and other non-travel related incomes (food, etc.) were another $650,000 a year. The airport was soon a huge financial success. A smaller airport located in adjacent Jackson Heights
, Holmes Airport
, was unable to prevent the expansion of the larger airport and it closed in 1940.
Newark Airport began renovations, but could not keep up with the new Queens airport, which Time
called "the most pretentious land and seaplane base in the world." Even before the project was completed, La Guardia had won commitments from the five largest airlines (Pan American Airways, American, United, Eastern Air Lines and Transcontinental & Western Air) that they would begin using the new field as soon as it opened. The airport was used during World War II as a training facility for aviation technicians and as a logistics field. Transatlantic landplane airline flights started in late 1945; some continued after Idlewild opened in July 1948, but the last ones shifted to Idlewild in April 1951.
Newspaper accounts alternately referred to the airfield as New York Municipal Airport and La Guardia Field until the modern name was officially applied when the airport moved to Port of New York Authority
control under a lease with New York City on June 1, 1947.
LaGuardia opened with four runways at 45-degree angles to each other, the longest (13/31) being 6000 ft (1,828.8 m). Runway 18/36 was closed soon after a United DC-4 ran off the south end in 1947; runway 9/27 (4500 ft) was closed around 1958, allowing La Guardia's terminal to expand northward after 1960. Circa 1961 runway 13/31 was shifted northeastward to allow construction of a parallel taxiway (such amenities being unknown when LGA was built) and in 1965-66 both remaining runways were extended to their present 7000 ft (2,133.6 m).
The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 283 weekday fixed-wing departures from LaGuardia: 126 American, 49 Eastern, 33 Northeast, 31 TWA, 29 Capital and 15 United. American's flights included 26 nonstops to Boston and 27 to Washington National (mostly Convair 240s).
aircraft were charged heavy fees to operate from LaGuardia during peak hours, driving many GA operators to airports such as Teterboro Airport
in Teterboro, New Jersey
. The increase in traffic at La Guardia and safety concerns prompted the closure of nearby Flushing Airport
in 1984. Also in 1984, to further combat overcrowding at LGA, the Port Authority instituted a Sunday-thru-Friday "perimeter rule" banning nonstop flights from LaGuardia to cities more than 1500 miles (2,414 km) away; at the time Denver was the only such city with nonstop flights, and it became the only exception to the rule. (In 1986 Western Airlines
hoped to fly 737-300s nonstop to Salt Lake City and unsuccessfully challenged the rule in federal court). Later, the Port Authority also moved to connect JFK and Newark Airport to regional rail networks with the AirTrain Newark
and AirTrain JFK
, in an attempt to make these more distant airports competitive with La Guardia. In addition to these local regulations, the FAA
also limited the number of flights and types of aircraft that could operate at La Guardia (see 14 CFR
§ 193).
LaGuardia's traffic continued to grow. By 2000, the airport routinely experienced overcrowding delays, many more than an hour long. That year, Congress
passed legislation to revoke the federal traffic limits on LaGuardia by 2007. The reduced demand for air travel following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City quickly slowed LaGuardia's traffic growth, helping to mitigate the airport's delays. Ongoing Port Authority investments to renovate the Central Terminal Building and improve the airfield layout have also made the airport's operations more efficient in recent years.
FAA approved Instrument Departure Procedure "Whitestone Climb" and the "Expressway Visual Approach to Runway 31" which both overfly Citi Field. In the name of safety when New York Mets
games are in progress, these procedures are not usually used.
In late 2006, construction began to replace the air traffic control tower built in 1962 with a more modern one. The tower began operations on October 9, 2010.
and US Airways
announced a landing slot and terminal swap in separate press releases. Under the swap plan, US Airways would have given Delta 125 operating slot pairs at LaGuardia. US Airways, in return, would have received 42 operating slot pairs at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, and be granted the authority to begin service from the US to Sao Pãulo, Brazil and Tokyo, Japan. When the swap plan was complete, Delta Shuttle operations would have moved from the Marine Air Terminal to Terminal C (the present US Airways terminal), and Terminals C and D would have been connected together. US Airways Shuttle flights would have moved to the Marine Air Terminal, and mainline US Airways flights would have moved to Terminal D (the present Delta terminal). The United States Department of Transportation
announced that they would approve the Delta/US Airways transaction under the condition that they sell slots to other airlines. Delta and US Airways dropped the slot swap deal in early July 2010 and both airlines have filed a court appeal. In May 2011, both airlines announced that they will resubmit their proposal of the slot swap to the US DOT. It was tentatively approved by the US DOT on July 21, 2011. The slot swap received final approval from the US DOT on October 10, 2011.
.
and Boeing 767
aircraft.
The Marine Air Terminal (MAT) was the airport's original terminal for overseas flights. The waterside terminal was designed to serve the fleet of flying boats, or Clippers, of Pan American Airways, America's main international airline throughout the 1930s and 1940s. When a Clipper would land in Long Island Sound, it would taxi up to a dock where passengers would disembark into the terminal. During World War II new four-engine land planes were developed, and flying boats didn't carry scheduled passengers out of New York after 1947. The last Pan American flight left the terminal in February 1952, bound for Bermuda.
The terminal is home of the largest mural created during the Roosevelt-era Works Progress Administration
(WPA) Federal Arts Program. Created by New York artist James Brooks
, the mural, Flight, encircles the upper rotunda walls, telling the story of man's conquest of the heavens up through 1942 when the work was completed. During the 1950s, many WPA artists were thought to be in collusion with Communists. Several works of art were destroyed that had been created for post offices and other public facilities. Likewise, Flight was completely painted over with wall paint by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. In the late 1970s, Geoffrey Arend, an aviation historian and author of Great Airports: LaGuardia, mounted a campaign to restore the mural to its original splendor. With the help of Brooks, LaGuardia Airport manager Tim Peirce, and donations from Reader’s Digest founders DeWitt Wallace
and Laurance Rockefeller
, Flight was rededicated in 1980.
In 1986, Pan Am restarted flights at the MAT with the purchase of New York Air
’s shuttle service between Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. In 1991, Delta Air Lines
bought the Pan Am Shuttle and subsequently started service from the MAT on September 1. In 1995, the MAT was designated as a historic landmark. A $7 million dollar restoration was completed in time for the airport’s 65th anniversary of commercial flights on December 2, 2004. Along with the Delta Shuttle
, general aviation operates from the terminal through a fixed based operator.
, Continental assumed the leases. Continental never moved in, as it sold its leases and most of its LaGuardia slots to US Airways
as part of Continental's bankruptcy restructuring. Trump Shuttle, successor to Eastern Airlines Shuttle, and what is now US Airways Shuttle, also occupied the terminal before becoming part of US Airways. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says that the terminal handles approximately 50% of regional airliner traffic at LaGuardia. http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/airports/html/lg_facts.html
and Long Island Rail Road
, with free transfers provided for Metrocard
users making subway connections. The buses are wheelchair accessible. These are operated by MTA New York City Transit and MTA Bus Company
:
There are also many private bus lines operating express buses to Manhattan, the Hudson Valley
, and Long Island.
s serving the airport are licensed by New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (NYCTLC. The fares within New York City are metered. Uniformed Taxi Dispatchers are available to assist passengers before they start the rides.
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in the City of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay
Bowery Bay
Bowery Bay is a bay off the East River in the New York City. It is located near the Steinway neighborhood of Queens and is bordered on the west by the Bowery Bay Water Pollution Control Plant and on the south and east by LaGuardia Airport....
, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria
Astoria, Queens
Astoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
, Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the Northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York, New York, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
and East Elmhurst
East Elmhurst, Queens
East Elmhurst is a culturally diverse area in New York City, in the northwest of the borough of Queens. It is located north of Jackson Heights and Corona and is bounded on the east and north by Flushing Bay. Residents are mostly moderate-income families, but there are also low-income areas. It...
. The airport was originally named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport after aviation pioneer Glenn Hammond Curtiss then renamed North Beach Airport, The official name after New York City's takeover and reconstruction was New York Municipal Airport-LaGuardia Field then in 1953 named solely "LaGuardia Airport" for Fiorello La Guardia, the mayor of New York when the airport was built. In 1960, it was voted the "greatest airport in the world" by the worldwide aviation community. The airport is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
.
LaGuardia is the smallest of the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
's three primary commercial airports, the other two of which are John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
in southern Queens and Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, and the closest of the three to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. It is larger than nearby alternative airports Long Island MacArthur Airport
Long Island MacArthur Airport
Long Island MacArthur Airport, formerly known as Islip Airport is a public airport located on Long Island, in Ronkonkoma, Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is seven miles northeast of the central business district of Islip hamlet...
in Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, Westchester County Airport
Westchester County Airport
Westchester County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of White Plains, in the towns of Harrison, North Castle and Rye Brook.It serves the areas of...
in Westchester County, and Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport is located in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, New York and over north of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The airport is located in the Town of Newburgh and the Town of New Windsor."." U.S. Census Bureau...
in Newburgh, New York. La Guardia is popular because of its central location and proximity to Manhattan. In spite of the airport's small size, wide-body aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
once visited regularly; the McDonnell Douglas DC-10
McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a...
and Lockheed L-1011
Lockheed L-1011
The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, commonly referred to as the L-1011 or TriStar, is a medium-to-long range, widebody passenger trijet airliner. It was the third widebody airliner to enter commercial operations, following the Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. Between 1968 and 1984, Lockheed...
were specifically designed for use at La Guardia. From 2000 to 2005, Delta operated the 767-400ER with 285 seats. Today, there are no scheduled widebody flights, though occasionally Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
rotates a Boeing 767-300 in for one of its Atlanta flights. The airport serves as a focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
for American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, American Eagle
American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
and US Airways Express
US Airways Express
US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...
.
Most flights from LaGuardia go to destinations within the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, as well as service to Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, the Bahamas, and Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, because those destinations are staffed with United States border preclearance
United States border preclearance
The United States operates border preclearance facilities at a number of ports and airports in foreign countries. They are staffed and operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Travelers pass through Immigration and Customs, Public Health, and Department of Agriculture inspections...
facilities. The airport has INS/FIS facilities capable of processing customs and immigration on arriving international flights; the facilities are insufficient to handle efficiently the number of passengers that a non-precleared scheduled airline service would require. LaGuardia is the busiest airport in the United States without any non-stop service to and from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. A perimeter rule prohibits nonstop flights to or from points beyond 1,500 statute miles (2,400 km) (except flights on Saturdays and flights to Denver), so most transcontinental and international flights use JFK or Newark.
In 2010, the airport handled just under 24.0 million passengers; JFK handled 46.5 million and Newark handled 33.1 million, making for a total of approximately 104 million travelers using New York airports, which is the largest airport system in the United States, largest in the world in terms of flight operations, and second in the world (after London) in terms of passenger traffic.
LaGuardia ranked last out of 66 airports in the United States in a passenger satisfaction survey compiled by J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for...
. Out of 31 airports surveyed in 2009, La Guardia, together with Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
, ranked last for on-time arrivals.
Construction
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
family. It was razed and transformed in 1929 into a 105 acres (42.5 ha) private flying field. The airport was originally named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport after the pioneer Long Island aviator, and later called North Beach Airport.
The initiative to develop the airport for commercial flights began with a verbal outburst by New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia (in office from 1934 to 1945) upon the arrival of his TWA
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
flight at Newark — the only commercial airport serving the New York City region at the time — as his ticket said "New York". He demanded to be taken to New York, and ordered the plane to be flown to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
's Floyd Bennett Field
Floyd Bennett Field
Floyd Bennett Field is New York City's first municipal airport. While no longer used as an operational commercial, military or general aviation airfield, the New York Police Department still flies its helicopters from its heliport base there...
, giving an impromptu press conference to reporters along the way. At that time, he urged New Yorkers to support a new airport within their city.
American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
accepted La Guardia's offer to start a pilot program of scheduled flights to Floyd Bennett, although the program failed after several months because of Newark's relative proximity to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. La Guardia went as far as to offer police escorts to airport limousines, in an attempt to get American Airlines to continue operating the pilot program.
During the Floyd Bennett experiment, La Guardia and American executives began an alternative plan to build a new airport in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, where it could take advantage of the new Queens-Midtown Tunnel to Manhattan. The existing North Beach Airport was an obvious location, but much too small for the sort of airport that was being planned. With backing and assistance from the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
, construction began in 1937. Building on the site required moving landfill from Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
, then a garbage dump, onto a metal reinforcing framework. The framework below the airport still causes magnetic interference on the compasses of outgoing aircraft: signs on the airfield warn pilots about the problem.
Because of American's pivotal role in the development of the airport, La Guardia gave the airline extra real estate during the airport's first year of operation, including four hangars (an unprecedented amount of space at the time). American also opened its first Admirals Club (and the first private airline club in the world) at the airport in 1939. The club's space was originally a large office space reserved for the mayor, but after receiving criticism in the press, La Guardia offered to lease out the space, and American vice president Red Mosier immediately accepted the offer.
The airport was dedicated on October 15, 1939, as the New York Municipal Airport, and opened for business on that December 2. It cost New York City $23 million to turn the tiny North Beach Airport into a 550 acres (222.6 ha) modern facility. Not everyone was as enthusiastic as La Guardia about the project, some regarded it as a $40-million boondoggle. But the public was fascinated by the very idea of air travel, and thousands traveled to the airport, paid the dime fee, and watched the airliners take off and land. Two years later these fees and their associated parking had already provided $285,000, and other non-travel related incomes (food, etc.) were another $650,000 a year. The airport was soon a huge financial success. A smaller airport located in adjacent Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the Northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York, New York, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
, Holmes Airport
Holmes Airport
Holmes Airport was a small airport that opened in 1929 in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens in New York City.Real estate developer E. H. Holmes built the airport on approximately 220 acres of undeveloped land. He organized and sold stock in Holmes Airport, Inc., but claimed that some...
, was unable to prevent the expansion of the larger airport and it closed in 1940.
Newark Airport began renovations, but could not keep up with the new Queens airport, which Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
called "the most pretentious land and seaplane base in the world." Even before the project was completed, La Guardia had won commitments from the five largest airlines (Pan American Airways, American, United, Eastern Air Lines and Transcontinental & Western Air) that they would begin using the new field as soon as it opened. The airport was used during World War II as a training facility for aviation technicians and as a logistics field. Transatlantic landplane airline flights started in late 1945; some continued after Idlewild opened in July 1948, but the last ones shifted to Idlewild in April 1951.
Newspaper accounts alternately referred to the airfield as New York Municipal Airport and La Guardia Field until the modern name was officially applied when the airport moved to Port of New York Authority
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
control under a lease with New York City on June 1, 1947.
LaGuardia opened with four runways at 45-degree angles to each other, the longest (13/31) being 6000 ft (1,828.8 m). Runway 18/36 was closed soon after a United DC-4 ran off the south end in 1947; runway 9/27 (4500 ft) was closed around 1958, allowing La Guardia's terminal to expand northward after 1960. Circa 1961 runway 13/31 was shifted northeastward to allow construction of a parallel taxiway (such amenities being unknown when LGA was built) and in 1965-66 both remaining runways were extended to their present 7000 ft (2,133.6 m).
The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 283 weekday fixed-wing departures from LaGuardia: 126 American, 49 Eastern, 33 Northeast, 31 TWA, 29 Capital and 15 United. American's flights included 26 nonstops to Boston and 27 to Washington National (mostly Convair 240s).
Later development
Although LaGuardia was a large airport for the era in which it was built, it soon became too small for the amount of air traffic it had to handle. Starting in 1968, general aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
aircraft were charged heavy fees to operate from LaGuardia during peak hours, driving many GA operators to airports such as Teterboro Airport
Teterboro Airport
Teterboro Airport is a general aviation relief airport located in the Boroughs of Teterboro, Moonachie, and Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey...
in Teterboro, New Jersey
Teterboro, New Jersey
Teterboro is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 67, making it the fourth smallest municipality, by population, in New Jersey....
. The increase in traffic at La Guardia and safety concerns prompted the closure of nearby Flushing Airport
Flushing Airport
Flushing Airport is a decommissioned airfield in northern Queens in New York City. It is located in the neighborhood of College Point, near Flushing. The airfield was in operation from 1927 to 1984. It was originally called Speed's Airport and was one of the busiest airports in New York City before...
in 1984. Also in 1984, to further combat overcrowding at LGA, the Port Authority instituted a Sunday-thru-Friday "perimeter rule" banning nonstop flights from LaGuardia to cities more than 1500 miles (2,414 km) away; at the time Denver was the only such city with nonstop flights, and it became the only exception to the rule. (In 1986 Western Airlines
Western Airlines
Western Airlines was a large airline based in California, with operations throughout the Western United States, and hubs at Los Angeles International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and the former Stapleton International Airport in Denver...
hoped to fly 737-300s nonstop to Salt Lake City and unsuccessfully challenged the rule in federal court). Later, the Port Authority also moved to connect JFK and Newark Airport to regional rail networks with the AirTrain Newark
AirTrain Newark
AirTrain Newark is a 3-mile monorail system connecting Newark Liberty International Airport to the Newark Liberty International Airport train station on the Northeast Corridor rail line of New Jersey Transit and Amtrak...
and AirTrain JFK
AirTrain JFK
AirTrain JFK is a 3-line, -long people mover system and elevated railway in New York City providing service to John F. Kennedy International Airport...
, in an attempt to make these more distant airports competitive with La Guardia. In addition to these local regulations, the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
also limited the number of flights and types of aircraft that could operate at La Guardia (see 14 CFR
Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government of the United States.The CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register, an agency...
§ 193).
LaGuardia's traffic continued to grow. By 2000, the airport routinely experienced overcrowding delays, many more than an hour long. That year, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
passed legislation to revoke the federal traffic limits on LaGuardia by 2007. The reduced demand for air travel following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City quickly slowed LaGuardia's traffic growth, helping to mitigate the airport's delays. Ongoing Port Authority investments to renovate the Central Terminal Building and improve the airfield layout have also made the airport's operations more efficient in recent years.
FAA approved Instrument Departure Procedure "Whitestone Climb" and the "Expressway Visual Approach to Runway 31" which both overfly Citi Field. In the name of safety when New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
games are in progress, these procedures are not usually used.
In late 2006, construction began to replace the air traffic control tower built in 1962 with a more modern one. The tower began operations on October 9, 2010.
Plans
In April 2010, Port Authority director Christopher Ward announced that the agency had hired consultants to explore a full demolition and rebuilding of LaGuardia. The project would create a unified, modern, and efficient plan for the airport, currently an amalgam of decades of additions and modifications. The rebuilding would be staged in phases in order to maintain operations throughout the project.Delta-US Airways slot swap
On August 12, 2009, Delta Air LinesDelta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
and US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
announced a landing slot and terminal swap in separate press releases. Under the swap plan, US Airways would have given Delta 125 operating slot pairs at LaGuardia. US Airways, in return, would have received 42 operating slot pairs at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, and be granted the authority to begin service from the US to Sao Pãulo, Brazil and Tokyo, Japan. When the swap plan was complete, Delta Shuttle operations would have moved from the Marine Air Terminal to Terminal C (the present US Airways terminal), and Terminals C and D would have been connected together. US Airways Shuttle flights would have moved to the Marine Air Terminal, and mainline US Airways flights would have moved to Terminal D (the present Delta terminal). The United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
announced that they would approve the Delta/US Airways transaction under the condition that they sell slots to other airlines. Delta and US Airways dropped the slot swap deal in early July 2010 and both airlines have filed a court appeal. In May 2011, both airlines announced that they will resubmit their proposal of the slot swap to the US DOT. It was tentatively approved by the US DOT on July 21, 2011. The slot swap received final approval from the US DOT on October 10, 2011.
Terminals, airlines, and destinations
LaGuardia has four terminals connected by buses and walkways. Signage throughout the terminals was designed by Paul MijksenaarPaul Mijksenaar
Paul Mijksenaar is a designer of visual information and is founder and director of the international design bureau Mijksenaar, based in Amsterdam and New York. Mijksenaar is a specialist in creating visual information systems, such as wayfinding signage for railway stations and airports including...
.
Central Terminal Building (CTB)
The Central Terminal Building (CTB) serves most of LaGuardia's domestic airlines. It is six blocks long, consisting of a four-story central section, two three-story wings and four concourses (A, B, C, and D) with up to 40 aircraft gates. It was dedicated on April 17, 1964, and cost $36 million. Delta and US Airways left the CTB in 1983 and 1992 respectively to their own dedicated terminals on the east side of the airport. The Port Authority and various airlines have carried out a $340 million improvement project in the 1990s and early 2000s to expand and renovate the existing space. http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/airports/html/lg_facts.htmlDelta Terminal
The Delta Flight Center opened on June 19, 1983, at a cost of approximately $90 million. It was designed to accommodate Delta's new Boeing 757Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
and Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
aircraft.
Marine Air Terminal
The terminal is home of the largest mural created during the Roosevelt-era Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) Federal Arts Program. Created by New York artist James Brooks
James Brooks (painter)
James Brooks was an American muralist, abstract painter and winner of the Logan Medal of the Arts. Brooks was a friend of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner on Eastern Long Island. In 1947 he married artist Charlotte Park...
, the mural, Flight, encircles the upper rotunda walls, telling the story of man's conquest of the heavens up through 1942 when the work was completed. During the 1950s, many WPA artists were thought to be in collusion with Communists. Several works of art were destroyed that had been created for post offices and other public facilities. Likewise, Flight was completely painted over with wall paint by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. In the late 1970s, Geoffrey Arend, an aviation historian and author of Great Airports: LaGuardia, mounted a campaign to restore the mural to its original splendor. With the help of Brooks, LaGuardia Airport manager Tim Peirce, and donations from Reader’s Digest founders DeWitt Wallace
DeWitt Wallace
DeWitt Wallace , also known as William Roy was a United States magazine publisher. He co-founded Reader's Digest with his wife Lila Wallace and published the first issue in 1922.Born in St...
and Laurance Rockefeller
Laurance Rockefeller
Laurance Spelman Rockefeller was a venture capitalist, financier, philanthropist, a major conservationist and a prominent third-generation member of the Rockefeller family. He was the fourth child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and brother to John D...
, Flight was rededicated in 1980.
In 1986, Pan Am restarted flights at the MAT with the purchase of New York Air
New York Air
New York Air was a 1980s startup airline owned by Texas Air Corporation and based at LaGuardia Airport in Flushing, Queens, New York City.-History:...
’s shuttle service between Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. In 1991, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
bought the Pan Am Shuttle and subsequently started service from the MAT on September 1. In 1995, the MAT was designated as a historic landmark. A $7 million dollar restoration was completed in time for the airport’s 65th anniversary of commercial flights on December 2, 2004. Along with the Delta Shuttle
Delta Shuttle
Delta Shuttle is the brand name for Delta Air Lines' air shuttle service between LaGuardia Airport in New York City, Logan International Airport in Boston, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport serving Washington, D.C. and Chicago-O'Hare International Airport...
, general aviation operates from the terminal through a fixed based operator.
US Airways Terminal
The 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) US Airways Terminal, designed by William Nicholas Bodouva + Associates Architects and Planners, was opened September 12, 1992, at a cost of $250 million. The original tenant was intended to be Eastern Airlines, but when Eastern was forcibly bankrupt in an effort by parent Texas Air Corporation to merge its assets with that of sister airline Continental AirlinesContinental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, Continental assumed the leases. Continental never moved in, as it sold its leases and most of its LaGuardia slots to US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
as part of Continental's bankruptcy restructuring. Trump Shuttle, successor to Eastern Airlines Shuttle, and what is now US Airways Shuttle, also occupied the terminal before becoming part of US Airways. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says that the terminal handles approximately 50% of regional airliner traffic at LaGuardia. http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/airports/html/lg_facts.html
Airlines and destinations
Top airlines and destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Top carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chicago, Illinois (ORD)O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop... |
1,292,000 | American, Delta, United |
| 2 | Atlanta, Georgia | 1,143,000 | AirTran, American, Delta |
| 3 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 737,000 | Delta, JetBlue, Spirit |
| 4 | Charlotte, North Carolina | 534,000 | American, US Airways |
| 5 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW) | 550,000 | American |
| 6 | Miami, Florida Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area... |
548,000 | American |
| 7 | Boston, Massachusetts Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways... |
466,000 | American, Delta, US Airways |
| 8 | Detroit, Michigan Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport.... |
452,000 | American, Delta, Spirit |
| 9 | Washington, DC (DCA) | 386,000 | Delta, US Airways |
| 10 | Orlando, Florida Orlando International Airport Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport... |
351,000 | AirTran, Delta, JetBlue |
Bus
Several city bus lines link LGA to the New York City SubwayNew York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
and Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
, with free transfers provided for Metrocard
MetroCard
The MetroCard is the payment method for the New York City Subway rapid transit system; New York City Transit buses, including routes operated by Atlantic Express under contract to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ; MTA Bus, and MTA Long Island Bus systems; the PATH subway system; the...
users making subway connections. The buses are wheelchair accessible. These are operated by MTA New York City Transit and MTA Bus Company
MTA Bus Company
MTA Bus Company is a service of MTA Regional Bus Operations used on routes previously controlled by the New York City Department of Transportation , and operated by private operators that provided service under contract to the NYCDOT...
:
- M60 (All terminals)
- Q33 (Central Terminal, US Airways, and Delta terminals only)
- Q48 (All terminals)
- Q72 (Central Terminal only)
There are also many private bus lines operating express buses to Manhattan, the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
, and Long Island.
Taxi
TaxicabTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s serving the airport are licensed by New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (NYCTLC. The fares within New York City are metered. Uniformed Taxi Dispatchers are available to assist passengers before they start the rides.
Limousine
New York City's limousine services, which are also licensed by the NYCTLC, offer various rates ranging from $40–150 from LGA airport to Manhattan (excluding tips and tolls) in a sedan or limousine. Depending on the time of day, travel from LGA to Midtown Manhattan can be as quick as 25 minutes. Limousines accommodate 2–20 passengers depending upon the size of the vehicle.Accidents and incidents
- On February 1, 1957, Northeast Airlines Flight 823Northeast Airlines Flight 823Northeast Airlines Flight 823 was a scheduled flight departing from New York City's LaGuardia Airport en route to Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida on February 1, 1957, but crashed shortly after takeoff...
crashed on takeoff into Rikers IslandRikers IslandRikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
. Of 101 people aboard, 21 were killed.
- On February 3, 1959, American Airlines Flight 320American Airlines Flight 320American Airlines Flight 320, registration N6101A, was a Lockheed L-188A Electra en route from Chicago Midway International Airport to New York City's LaGuardia Airport on February 3, 1959. It crashed into the East River on approach; 65 of the 73 on board died. It was the first crash for the...
crashed on approach into the East RiverEast RiverThe East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
. Of 73 people aboard, 65 were killed.
- On June 12, 1972, American Airlines Flight 96American Airlines Flight 96American Airlines Flight 96 was a regular McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 flight operated by American Airlines. The flight suffered a cargo door failure on 12 June 1972 while flying over Windsor, Ontario; it is thus sometimes referred to as the Windsor incident.The rapid decompression in the cargo hold...
suffered a decompression on a flight from Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
To New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. All 67 passengers survived.
- On December 29, 1975, a bomb explodedLaGuardia Airport bombingOn December 29, 1975, at 6:33pm a bomb with the equivalent of 25 sticks of dynamite exploded in the main terminal at LaGuardia Airport, killing 11 and injuring 79. The bomb had been placed in a locker adjacent to a luggage carousel. At the time, suspects included the FALN, the Jewish Defense...
at LaGuardia, killing 11 people and injuring 74.
- On 4 January 1971, Douglas C-47A N7 of the Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
crashed on approach to La Guardia Airport. The aircraft was on a flight from Johnstown-Cambria County AirportJohnstown-Cambria County AirportThe John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Johnstown, Pennsylvania is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline. Service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service. The airport is named after the late Congressman John Murtha.The John Murtha...
, Johnstown, PennsylvaniaJohnstown, PennsylvaniaJohnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
. The cause of the accident was windshearWindShearThe Windshear Full Scale Rolling Road Wind Tunnel is an automotive wind tunnel in Concord, North Carolina.In January 2008 Wind Shear, a division of US machine tool builder Haas Automat-80.7ion, completed construction on one of the most advanced automotive wind tunnels in the world. The full-scale...
.
- On September 21, 1989, USAir Flight 5050USAir Flight 5050USAir Flight 5050 was an "extra section" passenger flight to replace the regularly scheduled but cancelled flight 1846, from New York's La Guardia Airport to Charlotte International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 20, 1989. Michael Martin was a new Boeing 737 captain, logging...
bound for Charlotte/Douglas International AirportCharlotte/Douglas International AirportCharlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, crashed after aborting takeoff and rolling off the end of the runway into the East RiverEast RiverThe East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
. The plane broke into three pieces, and three passengers died as a result.
- On March 22, 1992, USAir Flight 405USAir Flight 405USAir Flight 405 was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight between LaGuardia Airport in New York City, and Cleveland, Ohio. On March 22, 1992, a USAir Fokker F28, registration N485US, flying the route, crashed in poor weather in a partially inverted position in Flushing Bay, New York,...
bound for Cleveland Hopkins International AirportCleveland Hopkins International AirportCleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland...
in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, crashed on takeoff at LaGuardia because of icing on its wings. Of 51 people aboard, 27 were killed.
- On March 2, 1994, Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
Flight 705 to Stapleton International AirportStapleton International AirportStapleton International Airport was Denver, Colorado's primary airport from 1929 to 1995. At different times it served as a hub for TWA, People Express, Frontier Airlines and Western Airlines as well as a hub for Continental Airlines and United Airlines at the time of its closure.In 1995 Stapleton...
in Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, aborted takeoff in a snowstorm and skidded down the runway into a ditch.
- On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549US Airways Flight 1549US Airways Flight 1549 was US Airways' scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina...
to Charlotte/Douglas International AirportCharlotte/Douglas International AirportCharlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
ditched in the Hudson RiverHudson RiverThe Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
at a gradual angle after losing both engines as a result of multiple bird strikes at an altitude of 3000 feet (914.4 m); all 150 passengers (12 in first class and 138 in economy) and 5 crew members (2 pilots and 3 flight attendants) were successfully evacuated from a safe water ditch.
- On August 1, 2009, the airport was evacuated when a Port Authority police officer mistook a mentally-disabled man's electrical equipment for a bomb, and his flipping of a switch to be an attempt to detonate it.
See also
- New York World War II Army AirfieldsNew York World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in New York for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
External links
- LaGuardia Airport (official site)
- LGA Airport Monitor (from Passur.com)
- Transportation Methods for Getting to LaGuardia Airport
- Using the subway/bus to cheaply get to LaGuardia Airport
- LaGuardia by private jet
- LaGuardia airport information (from airport-viewer.com)