LaGuardia Airport

LaGuardia Airport, often called LaGuardia or LGA, is a busy airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, United States. It sits on the northwestern shore of Long Island, next to Flushing Bay. Covering 680 acres, the airport started in 1929 and opened to the public in 1939. It is named after Fiorello H. La Guardia, a former mayor of New York City.

The airport mainly serves domestic flights, with a few international ones. As of 2023, it was the third-busiest airport in the New York metropolitan area, after Kennedy and Newark, and the 19th-busiest in the United States by the number of passengers. It is close to the Grand Central Parkway, the main road for getting to the airport. Both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines use LaGuardia, but there are special rules, like a curfew, a slot system, and a rule that stops most nonstop flights to places farther than 1,500 miles.

For many years, people said LaGuardia needed updates because its buildings and services were old and not very good. In 2015, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey started a big project to rebuild the airport. This work finished in January 2025, making the airport much newer and better for travelers.

History

Original site

Before people built anything there, the land where LaGuardia Airport now stands was a natural point where Bowery Bay and Flushing Bay met. By 1858, it became part of a large estate owned by Benjamin Pike Jr., and later William Steinway turned it into a popular summer resort called Bowery Bay Beach. It included a beach, lawns, and a boathouse. The resort was renamed North Beach and grew into a lively place with an amusement park. However, changes like Prohibition and increased pollution made it hard to keep the resort running, and it was eventually abandoned in the 1920s.

Coastline of northwest Queens, circa 1866

North Beach Airport

In 1929, a company planned to build a private seaplane base at North Beach. It opened in June 1929 with a concrete area for planes and a converted resort as a passenger terminal. The opening drew 5,000 people and included air races and new airline services to places like Albany and Boston.

Glenn H. Curtiss Airport

Works Progress Administration poster advertising the newly built air terminals of New York City

By 1930, the airport had hangars and lighted runways, and it became home to seaplanes from the New York City Police Department. It was renamed Glenn H. Curtiss Airport in honor of a pioneering aviator. The airport hosted the world’s largest airplane, the Dornier Do X, which drew over 18,000 visitors on its first day. This showed how air travel could work far from Manhattan.

Municipal Airport 2

In 1934, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia began pushing for New York City to have its own central airport. While one plan to use Governors Island didn’t work out, La Guardia saw potential in Curtiss Airport. The city signed an agreement to lease and eventually buy the airport. It was officially named Municipal Airport 2 in 1935.

Sign at runway 13 warning pilots to check compass

Mayor La Guardia wanted a proper airport within New York City. He announced plans to build a new airport in Queens, using land near Flushing and Bowery Bays. Construction began in 1937, and the airport opened on December 2, 1939. It quickly became a success, drawing crowds to watch planes and generating income from fees and restaurants.

LaGuardia started with four runways and soon attracted major airlines. During World War II, it trained aviation technicians. After the war, it handled international flights until newer airports took over that role. Over the years, the airport changed with new runways, terminals, and rules to manage traffic.

In 2026, an accident occurred when Air Canada Express Flight 8646 collided with a firetruck at Runway 4/22, resulting in the deaths of both pilots and injuries to 42 passengers. Also in 2026, Spirit Airlines ceased operations following its bankruptcy, with its last flight departing from LaGuardia on May 1.

Operations

LaGuardia Airport is mainly used by airlines that fly to places both in and near the United States. Because it is close to busy city areas, there are rules to control traffic and noise. Only smaller planes usually fly from LaGuardia, though it can sometimes handle bigger planes like the Boeing 767 and Airbus A310.

Aerial view of LaGuardia with Manhattan in the background, 2016

Law enforcement at LaGuardia is handled by the Port Authority Police, who work with other groups to keep the airport safe. They patrol the terminals, investigate, and help with security.

LaGuardia does not have its own customs area for international flights. Instead, international flights must come from airports where passengers go through customs before leaving that airport. This means travelers can leave LaGuardia right after landing, just like they would after a flight within the country.

To reduce noise and allow for maintenance, there is a nightly quiet time during warm months. Also, most flights cannot go farther than 1,500 miles except on Saturdays or to Denver, Colorado. This rule helps keep noise levels down. Because LaGuardia is very busy, there is a system that controls when planes can take off and land.

Facilities

LaGuardia Airport has three main terminals (A, B, and C) connected by buses and walkways. Terminal B is a large hub for American Airlines. The airport has undergone a big redesign with new Terminal B and Terminal C, while Terminal A mostly stayed the same.

Marine Air Terminal in 1974

Terminal A, also called the Marine Air Terminal, was built for special flying boats in the past. It now serves a few airlines. Terminal B has two parts: the Western Concourse and the Eastern Concourse, with many airlines using it. Terminal C opened in 2022 and is mainly for Delta Air Lines.

There are also older terminals that are no longer used. General aviation aircraft use a special area inside Terminal A, and there are rules for private planes landing at LaGuardia. The airport has its own police and emergency services, and there is a public park nearby where people can watch planes.

Headhouse floorplans
4F		Bridges to/from concourses
3F	Departures	Passenger drop-off, ticketing and check-in, security, parking
2F	Arrivals	Baggage claim, car services, parking, passenger pick-up, taxis
1F	Public transit	Welcome center, hotel shuttles and buses

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

LaGuardia Airport is a busy place where many airlines bring people to different places around the world. It has many flights leaving every day to help people travel. The airport works with many airlines to make sure there are lots of choices for where people can go.

Statistics

Top destinations

Airline market share

Carrier shares (January 2025 - December 2025)

Delta, 13,997,095 (42.7%)
American, 8,104,476 (24.7%)
Southwest, 3,115,642 (9.50%)
United, 2,771,496 (8.50%)
Spirit, 1,860,373 (5.70%)
JetBlue, 1,121,217 (3.40%)
Frontier, 849,161 (2.60%)
Air Canada, 858,827 (2.60%)
Porter, 111,743 (0.30%)

Annual traffic

**Busiest domestic routes from LGA (January 2025 – December 2025)**
Rank	City	Passengers	Airlines
1	Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois	1,384,000	American, Delta, Spirit, United
2	Atlanta, Georgia	1,106,000	American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest
3	Miami, Florida	916,000	American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit
4	Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas	886,000	American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit
5	Orlando, Florida	795,000	American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit
6	Denver, Colorado	638,000	Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United
7	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	638,000	Delta, JetBlue, Spirit
8	Charlotte, North Carolina	614,000	American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit
9	Houston–Intercontinental, Texas	551,000	Delta, Spirit, United
10	Detroit, Michigan	495,000	American, Delta, Spirit

Largest airlines at LGA
(January 2025 – December 2025)
Rank	Airline	Passengers	Share
1	Delta Air Lines	13,997,095	42.7%
2	American Airlines	8,104,476	24.7%
3	Southwest Airlines	3,115,642	9.5%
4	United Airlines	2,771,496	8.5%
5	Spirit Airlines	1,860,373	5.7%
6	JetBlue	1,121,217	3.4%
7	Air Canada	858,827	2.6%
8	Frontier Airlines	849,161	2.6%
9	Porter Airlines	111,743	0.3%

Annual passenger traffic at LGA 2002–present
Year	Passengers	% Change
2002	21,986,679	—
2003	22,482,770	2.3%
2004	24,453,203	8.8%
2005	25,889,360	5.9%
2006	25,810,603	0.3%
2007	25,026,267	3.0%
2008	23,073,056	7.8%
2009	22,153,236	4.0%
2010	23,981,314	8.3%
2011	24,122,478	0.6%
2012	25,707,784	6.6%
2013	26,671,755	3.7%
2014	26,972,095	1.1%
2015	28,437,668	5.4%
2016	29,786,861	4.7%
2017	29,562,228	0.8%
2018	30,082,127	1.8%
2019	31,084,894	3.3%
2020	8,245,192	73.5%
2021	15,601,033	89.2%
2022	29,093,792	86.5%
2023	32,384,960	11.3%
2024	33,543,943	3.6%
2025	32,791,050	2.2%

Ground transportation

Buses are the only public way to get to and from the airport. You can take special bus lines called Select Bus Services to places near the airport. Some of these buses go to all the terminals, while others only go to certain ones. There are also free transfers to the New York City Subway if you pay with OMNY or MetroCard.

The airport has its own shuttle bus that stops at all the terminals. Even though there have been ideas to add train service, LaGuardia does not have a train station. However, you can take a bus or a car to get to nearby subway or train stations.

You can drive to the airport using the Grand Central Parkway. There are taxis you can take, and there are also places where you can find limos or rideshare services.