Marine Air Terminal facts for kids
|
Marine Air Terminal
|
|
Facade of the Marine Air Terminal
|
|
| Location | La Guardia Airport, Queens, New York |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1939 |
| Architect | Delano, William |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003397 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | July 9, 1982 |
The Marine Air Terminal (also called Terminal A) is an airport terminal at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York City. This building is special because it's an Art Deco style airport terminal from 1939. It's the only airport terminal still in use today that dates back to the very first time people started flying as passengers in the United States.
This terminal was originally built for big seaplanes, like the "Clippers" from Pan American World Airways. These planes could land on water! After World War II, newer planes that landed on runways became popular. So, the Marine Air Terminal was changed to handle these new planes. It was closed for a while, but then it was fixed up and reopened. Since 1982, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a very important historic building.
Contents
History of the Terminal
Building the Airport
In the early 1930s, flying became more popular in the United States. This was partly thanks to Charles Lindbergh's famous flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. By 1934, New York City really needed a new airport. The mayor at the time, Fiorello La Guardia, was upset that his flight landed in Newark, New Jersey, even though his ticket said "New York." He pushed for an airport to be built right in New York City.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved plans for the new airport in 1937. The airport was built with help from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This was a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression. Construction happened very quickly. The airport, named New York Municipal Airport–LaGuardia Field, opened on October 15, 1939. It was the biggest and most expensive airport in the world at that time. The Marine Air Terminal itself was officially opened in March 1940.
Pan Am's Flying Boats
The Marine Air Terminal was designed for Pan American World Airways' "flying boats," also known as Clippers. These planes would land in the water nearby. Passengers would then get off the plane and go into the terminal. The first Clipper flight from the Marine Air Terminal left on March 31, 1940. It carried passengers and mail to Lisbon, Portugal, in about 18 and a half hours.
The Pan American Clippers were very fancy planes. They had two decks, dining rooms, and even sleeping areas for passengers. But after World War II, new land-based planes with four engines were developed. These new planes made flying boats less useful for regular passenger flights. The last Pan American flying boat left the terminal in February 1952. After that, the terminal was closed to passengers and started to fall apart. In 1966, it was fixed up and reopened for private corporate jets.
What It's Used For Today
Since 1986, the terminal has mostly been used for shuttle flights. These flights go between New York and cities like Boston and Washington D.C. In 1986, Pan Am started its "Pan Am Shuttle" service from this terminal. They even had a water taxi from Wall Street to the terminal to make it easier for people to get there.
Later, Delta Air Lines took over the shuttle service. They used the terminal for their "Delta Shuttle" flights. Other smaller airlines and private planes also use the terminal.
A big restoration project costing $7 million was finished in 2004. This made the terminal look new again. For a while, US Airways was supposed to take over the shuttle service, but that didn't happen. Delta continued to use the terminal until December 2017.
As part of a big project to rebuild LaGuardia Airport, Delta Air Lines moved its shuttle flights to another terminal. On December 9, 2017, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue moved their flights to the Marine Air Terminal. However, Alaska Airlines stopped flying from LaGuardia in October 2018. Now, JetBlue is the only airline using the Marine Air Terminal.
The Flight Mural
Inside the Marine Air Terminal, there's a huge painting called Flight. It's 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall and 237 feet (72 meters) long! This was the biggest mural ever created as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) program.
The artist, James Brooks, finished Flight in 1942. The mural shows the entire history of how humans have tried to fly, from ancient times to modern airplanes.
In the 1950s, some people thought that WPA artists might have had communist ideas. Because of this, many artworks created for public buildings were destroyed. The Flight mural was completely painted over with wall paint. Luckily, in the late 1970s, an aviation historian named Geoffrey Arend started a campaign to bring the mural back. With help from the artist James Brooks and others, the mural was uncovered and restored. It was officially shown again on September 18, 1980, for everyone to enjoy.
Gallery
-
Detail of relief
-
Marine Air Terminal in 1974
-
Pan Am flying boat at MAT around 1940
-
The mural inside the terminal
