Aviator Harry Atwood made the first airplane flight to our community when
lack of fuel forced him to make an emergency landing in the middle of
24th Avenue during a Boston to New York marathon race in 1911.
North Beach Amusement Park was transformed in 1929 into a 105-acre private
flying field, first named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport and later North Beach
Airport. It is taken over by New York City and dedicated on October 15,
1939 as the New York City Municipal Airport.
The Yankee Clipper
On April 1, 1940, the new International Marine Terminal opened when the
giant ‘Yankee Clipper’, a tremendous four motored airliner,
carrying nine passengers and 5,260 pounds of cargo, departed for Lisbon.
International air service in New York City was born.
In 1947, the Port Authority leased the airport and it was renamed LaGuardia
Airport. A new Central Terminal Building was opened in 1964 and enlarged
in 1967 and 1992.
LGA consists of 680 acres and 72 aircraft gates. In 1998, the airport
had 358,157 flights, moved 22,849,071 passengers and handled 75,835 tons
of mail and freight. Two main runways, extended in 1966, are 7,000 feet
long by 150 feet wide. The airport provides a total of 10,400 parking
spaces.
There are over 9,000 persons employed at the airport. LGA contributes
$5.7 billion in economic activity to the NY/NJ metropolitan region, generating
63,000 jobs.
