LaGuardia Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
LaGuardia Airport
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | City of New York | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | New York metropolitan area | ||||||||||||||
| Location | East Elmhurst, Queens | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | December 2, 1939 | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 21 ft / 6 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°46′30″N 73°52′30″W / 40.77500°N 73.87500°W | ||||||||||||||
| Runway | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2020) | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
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LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is a busy airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. It covers about 680 acres (275 hectares). The airport first opened in 1929 and became a public airport in 1939.
It is named after Fiorello La Guardia, a former mayor of New York City. Pilots sometimes call it "USS LaGuardia." This is because its runways are short and surrounded by water, like an aircraft carrier.
LaGuardia Airport mainly handles flights to places within the United States. It also has a few international flights. In 2019, it was the third busiest airport in the New York metropolitan area. Only JFK and Newark airports were busier. It was the 21st busiest airport in the whole United States.
LaGuardia is a main airport (a "hub") for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
Contents
About LaGuardia Airport
Why is it called LaGuardia?
The airport is named after Fiorello La Guardia. He was a very important mayor of New York City. He served from 1934 to 1945. He helped make the airport a public place for everyone to use.
Rules for Flying
LaGuardia Airport has special rules for flights. There is a "perimeter rule" that limits how far planes can fly nonstop from the airport. Flights cannot go further than 1,500 miles (2,400 km) without stopping. This rule helps manage air traffic and noise.
There are also rules about when planes can fly. This is called a curfew. It helps keep the area around the airport quieter at night.
A Big Makeover
For many years, some people felt that LaGuardia Airport needed updates. In 2015, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) announced a huge plan. They decided to rebuild much of the airport. This big project costs billions of dollars.
The goal is to make the airport modern and better for travelers. The reconstruction is expected to be finished by 2025. Many new parts of the airport, like Terminal B, have already opened.
Airlines and Destinations
Many different airlines fly to and from LaGuardia Airport. Some of the major airlines include:
- Air Canada
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Frontier Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- United Airlines
Busiest Flights from LaGuardia
This table shows some of the most popular places people fly to from LaGuardia Airport. The numbers are for flights between October 2010 and September 2011.
| Rank | City | Passengers | Top carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chicago, Illinois (ORD) |
1,287,000 | American, Delta, Spirit, United |
| 2 | .svg){kind=small} Atlanta, Georgia |
1,134,000 | AirTran, American, Delta |
| 3 |  Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
727,000 | Delta, JetBlue, Spirit |
| 4 |  Charlotte, North Carolina |
559,000 | American, US Airways |
| 5 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW) |
547,000 | American |
| 6 | Miami, Florida |
542,000 | American |
| 7 |  Detroit, Michigan |
462,000 | American, Delta, Spirit |
| 8 |  Boston, Massachusetts |
459,000 | Delta, US Airways |
| 9 |  Washington, DC (DCA) |
379,000 | Delta, US Airways |
| 10 | Orlando, Florida |
350,000 | AirTran, Delta, JetBlue |
Images for kids
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Coastline of northwest Queens, around 1866.
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A poster from the Works Progress Administration showing New York City's new airports.
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A sign near runway 13 telling pilots to check their compass.
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LaGuardia Airport from a taxiway in 2010. You can see both the new and old control towers.
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An airplane coming in to land on Runway 31 over Flushing.
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The rebuilt Terminal B at LaGuardia in 2021.
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Construction happening at Terminal B in April 2018.
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The Marine Air Terminal in 1974.
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The newly rebuilt Terminal B, which opened in 2020.
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A bridge connecting the main building and the concourse. Airplanes can taxi under this bridge.
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The security checkpoint at LGA Terminal C on June 6, 2022.
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The Q70 "LaGuardia Link" bus, run by MTA Regional Bus Operations.
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An American Airlines 737 plane approaching Runway 4, seen from Planeview Park.
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See also
In Spanish: Aeropuerto LaGuardia para niños
