Opened in 1939, New York LaGuardia International Airport (airport code LGA) is a commercial airport located about 8 miles from Manhattan on the shore of Flushing Bay in northern Queens borough. LaGuardia airport is operated by the Port of New York and New Jersey (PONYNJ)
Although much smaller than New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, LaGuardia had a traffic volume of nearly 27 million passengers in 2014, a little more than 50% of JFK airport’s traffic. Ten major airlines offer flights to & from the airport, plus several subsidiaries of those airlines.
Due to its convenient location near the heart of New York City, the airport is popular with business travelers, but less popular with city residents who dislike the noise and traffic.
The airport is accessible by bus, taxi, and private vehicles. Long range plans by the Metro Transit Authority include a subway link. More recently, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a plan to build a people mover, similar to AirTrain JFK, running along the Grand Central Parkway. Unveiled on January 20, 2015, and called the AirTrain LGA, this new transit service would connect LaGuardia airport to the Willets Point subway terminal.
In recent decades, the airport’s buildings and infrastructure have undergone significant deterioration, and there have been many proposals to upgrade, remodel, or rebuild the airport. A master plan to rebuild the airport in 2010 has been stalled for years. After the airport’s poor condition received much media attention, Governor Cuaomo stated in January 2014 that the state of New York would oversee reconstruction of the airport’s facilities.
There have also been recent proposals to close the airport and use the land for other purposes. Due to the convenience and general shortage of airports in the area, it seems unlikely that closing the airport will be given serious consideration.
In addition to 4 passenger terminals, LaGuardia has 10,400 parking spaces, 72 aircraft loading gates, and 2 runways within its 680 acres of land area. The two runways are each 7,000 feet long, and are designated 4-22 and 13-31.
The main airport telephone number is: 718-533-3400