12/02/1939: LaGuardia Airport Begins Operations

DALLAS — Today, in 1939, New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) opened for business in East Elmhurst, Queens. The aviation history of the site in Queens can be traced back to June 1929, when New York Air Terminal Inc. established a seaplane base.

The facility underwent several developments and name changes, including being renamed Glenn H. Curtiss Airport in September 1930 and later North Beach Airport in 1935.

However, it was Fiorello LaGuardia, the newly elected mayor, who played a significant role in transforming the airport. After being dissatisfied with landing at Newark (EWR), La Guardia demanded to be taken to "New York" and worked towards converting North Beach into a commercial facility.

Over US$20 million was invested in a complete redesign and upgrade, resulting in the renaming of the airport to New York Municipal Airport. Finally, in June 1947, the airport received its current name, LaGuardia Airport, in honor of Fiorello LaGuardia's contributions.

The Airport Today

Currently, LGA serves as a major hub for American Airlines (AA) and Delta Air Lines (DL), offering a range of domestic and limited international flights.

However, the airport is subject to the perimeter rule, which restricts international flights to a maximum distance of 1,500 miles. In 2019, LGA accommodated a total of 31,084,894 passengers and 32,384,960 in 2023.

Over the years, LGA has faced criticism for its outdated facilities, often earning a reputation as one of the country's worst airports. In response, a comprehensive airport reconstruction project commenced in the spring of 2016, aiming to consolidate all four terminals into a single integrated facility.

This ambitious endeavor is projected to reach completion by 2025, promising significant improvements and modernization of the airport's infrastructure.