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==History== Following [[Charles Lindbergh]]'s transatlantic flight in 1927, commercial air travel in the United States increased during the 1930s.<ref name="NYCL p. 1">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1980|ps=.|p=1}}</ref><ref name="NPS p. 3">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1982|ps=.|p=3}}</ref> New York City was in dire need of a new airport by 1934, after [[Fiorello H. La Guardia]] was [[1933 New York City mayoral election|elected mayor]].<ref name="Robins p. 227">{{harvnb|Robins|2017|p=227|ps=.}}</ref><ref name="newsday">{{Cite news |last=Amon |first=Rhoda |date=1998-05-13 |title=Major Airports Take Off |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-major-airports-take-off/165864485/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |work=Newsday |page=A17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Angered that a flight on which he was a passenger landed in [[Newark Liberty International Airport|Newark, New Jersey]], even though his ticket said "New York", LaGuardia pushed New Yorkers to support the construction of an airport in New York City itself.<ref name="newsday" /> The city did have a public airport, [[Floyd Bennett Field]] in [[Brooklyn]], but it was further from [[Midtown Manhattan]] than Newark Airport was.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cleveland |first=Reginald M. |date=March 10, 1935 |title=A World Air Center – New York, Now Adding Facilities, Has a Large Ebb and Flow of Planes Daily |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1935/03/10/93460040.pdf |access-date=January 2, 2018 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809145324/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1935/03/10/93460040.html?pdf_redirect=true&site=false |url-status=live}}</ref> After commencing several studies on the feasibility of a new airport in New York City, the La Guardia administration decided to redevelop the existing North Beach Airport in [[Queens]].<ref name="NPS p. 3" /><ref name="NYCL p. 2">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1980|ps=.|p=2}}</ref> The city government leased North Beach Airport in 1934.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=December 5, 1934 |title=City Takes Lease on Queens Airport |page=25 |work=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1934/12/05/94584759.pdf |access-date=October 27, 2021 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809145326/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1934/12/05/94584759.html?pdf_redirect=true&site=false |url-status=live}}</ref> === Development === La Guardia's administration presented plans for a renovation of North Beach Airport (now [[LaGuardia Airport]]) in August 1937. The plans included a terminal for [[seaplane]]s along [[Bowery Bay]], on the western side of the airport, as well as a terminal for land planes along [[Flushing Bay]], on the eastern side. The seaplane terminal, to be known as the Marine Air Terminal, was to contain four hangars, an administrative building, and a machine shop.<ref name="p1322398412">{{cite news |date=August 15, 1937 |title=Urges Queens Airport Fund Of $12,762,500: LaGuardia Discloses Plan for Great North Beach Trans-Atlantic Terminal Would' Quadruple Area Government Expensed to Meet $9,050,900 Of Cost |page=20 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1322398412}}}}</ref><ref name="nyt-1937-08-15">{{Cite news |date=August 15, 1937 |title=Great City Airport Planned by Mayor; Development of North Beach as Terminus for Land and Sea Planes Weighed |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/08/15/archives/great-city-airport-planned-by-mayor-development-of-north-beach-as.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803204303/https://www.nytimes.com/1937/08/15/archives/great-city-airport-planned-by-mayor-development-of-north-beach-as.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The administrative building was to be a circular brick-and-steel edifice measuring {{convert|38|ft}} tall and about {{convert|136|ft}} across. A baggage check, customs and immigration offices, an [[Air traffic control|air traffic control tower]], and various other offices would be centered around a main waiting room, and there would be access ramps for seaplane passengers.<ref name="nyt-1937-08-15" /> The seaplane and land-plane terminals, both designed by the firm of [[Delano & Aldrich]], would operate independently of each other.<ref name="p514847007">{{cite news |date=July 26, 1938 |title=New York City Speeds Building On Giant Port for All Planes: Regular Schedules Next Hospitality for Planes |page=2 |work=The Christian Science Monitor |id={{ProQuest|514847007}}}}</ref> The [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA) would provide federal funding for the project.<ref name="p1322398412" /><ref name="nyt-1937-08-15" /> U.S. president [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] approved plans for the airport on September 3, 1937,<ref name="NPS p. 3" /><ref name="NYCL p. 2" /> and La Guardia participated in a [[groundbreaking]] ceremony for the airport six days later.<ref name="p1223324565">{{cite news |date=September 10, 1937 |title=Mayor Breaks Airport Ground At North Beach: Starts $13,000,000 Work, On Which W. P. A. Will Contribute $9,000,000 |page=18 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1223324565}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 10, 1937 |title=North Beach Work Started by Mayor; He Operates Steam Shovel and Digs First Earth From Bluff for Enlarged Airport |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/09/10/archives/north-beach-work-started-by-mayor-he-operates-steam-shovel-and-digs.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803204308/https://www.nytimes.com/1937/09/10/archives/north-beach-work-started-by-mayor-he-operates-steam-shovel-and-digs.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The airport was originally projected to cost $15 million and be completed in time for the opening of the [[1939 New York World's Fair]]. By July 1938, the WPA employed 7,800 workers on the project, and workers were expanding the airport site through [[land reclamation]].<ref name="p1243011369">{{cite news |last=Allen |first=C. B. |date=July 24, 1938 |title=Air Lines Plan Base In Queens by Spring: North Beach Being Built to Their Specifications and They Already Are Negotiating for Space Mayor Must Obtain Mail Designation Carriers Prefer New Field to Newark and Refuse to Avail Themselves of New Buildings in Jersey Plan of North Beach Field and Map of Fill Completed |page=A1 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1243011369}}}}</ref><ref name="nyt-1938-07-31">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=F. David |date=July 31, 1938 |title=Along the Far-Flung Airways; New Plane Base Hailed $22,000,000 Air Terminal At North Beach to Be One of Finest Work Ahead of Schedule Expansion Allowance Made Will Handle Marine Traffic |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/07/31/archives/along-the-farflung-airways-new-plane-base-hailed-22000000-air.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803204304/https://www.nytimes.com/1938/07/31/archives/along-the-farflung-airways-new-plane-base-hailed-22000000-air.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The number of workers had increased to 11,500 by that November, and the cost had increased to $29 million.<ref name="nyt-1938-11-27">{{Cite news |last=Sprague |first=Marshall |date=November 27, 1938 |title=Big Air Terminal Takes Shape; Major Airlines Lease Hangars at North Beach Base, Largest in The World, And Work Is Pushed for Opening Next Spring Earth Transported Hangar Nearly Completed Seaplane Accommodations Short Run from City |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/11/27/archives/big-air-terminal-takes-shape-major-airlines-lease-hangars-at-north.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803204307/https://www.nytimes.com/1938/11/27/archives/big-air-terminal-takes-shape-major-airlines-lease-hangars-at-north.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to the opening of the seaplane terminal, in early 1939, ''The New York Times'' reported that flying boats from England, France, Germany, and the United States would be using the terminal.<ref name="nyt-1939-03-19">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=David |date=March 19, 1939 |title=New Lights for Airport; Runway Markers, Special Floods, Are to Brighten North Beach Field |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/03/19/archives/new-lights-for-airport-runway-markers-special-floods-are-to.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803224122/https://www.nytimes.com/1939/03/19/archives/new-lights-for-airport-runway-markers-special-floods-are-to.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The terminal had been planned with two seaplane hangars, but only one hangar was built at the time;<ref name="nyt-1939-04-16">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=David |date=April 16, 1939 |title=Along the World's Far-Flung Airways; City Plane Base Grows Dedication of North Beach Airport on April 30 Planned by Mayor 6,000 Feet of Runways Rain Slows Work 23,000 Men Employed |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/04/16/archives/along-the-worlds-farflung-airways-city-plane-base-grows-dedication.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803224052/https://www.nytimes.com/1939/04/16/archives/along-the-worlds-farflung-airways-city-plane-base-grows-dedication.html |url-status=live}}</ref> that hangar was nearly complete by April 1939.<ref name="nyt-1939-04-14">{{Cite news |date=April 14, 1939 |title=WPA Speeds Work Before New Cuts; Forces in Various Boroughs Put on Competitive Basis to Help Finish Projects |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/04/14/archives/wpa-speeds-work-before-new-cuts-forces-in-various-boroughs-put-on.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803224124/https://www.nytimes.com/1939/04/14/archives/wpa-speeds-work-before-new-cuts-forces-in-various-boroughs-put-on.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The expanded North Beach Airport opened on October 15, 1939,<ref>{{cite news |date=October 14, 1939 |title=150,000 To See North Beach Opening Fete: Dedication Of Airport Tomorrow Is Hailed As Boon To Queens |page=1 |work=Long Island Star-Journal |agency=Fultonhistory.com |url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252014%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%25201939%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%25201939%2520-%25201104.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2F9548f72c8a3f14edcdbc518a8fadfb3e#page=1 |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809145345/https://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2014/Long%20Island%20City%20NY%20Star%20Journal/Long%20Island%20City%20NY%20Star%20Journal%201939/Long%20Island%20City%20NY%20Star%20Journal%201939%20-%201104.pdf#page=1 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="LIStarNorhtBeachAirport-Oct141939-pg2">{{cite news |date=October 14, 1939 |title=150,000 To See North Beach Opening Fete: Dedication Of Airport Tomorrow Is Hailed As Boon To Queens |page=2 |work=Long Island Star-Journal |agency=Fultonhistory.com |url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252014%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%25201939%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%25201939%2520-%25201105.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2F17e13c260e18cbe32edf7e2b3f46db75#page=1 |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809145336/https://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2014/Long%20Island%20City%20NY%20Star%20Journal/Long%20Island%20City%20NY%20Star%20Journal%201939/Long%20Island%20City%20NY%20Star%20Journal%201939%20-%201105.pdf#page=1 |url-status=live}}</ref> and was officially renamed the New York Municipal Airport–LaGuardia Field later that year.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 18, 1939 |title=City Airport Call Is Changed to 'L-G'; CAA Action on Radio Signal Is Taken as Acceptance of Name La Guardia Field |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/12/18/archives/city-airport-call-is-changed-to-lg-caa-action-on-radio-signal-is.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803224124/https://www.nytimes.com/1939/12/18/archives/city-airport-call-is-changed-to-lg-caa-action-on-radio-signal-is.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Covering {{convert|558|acre}} with nearly {{convert|4|mi|km}} of runways, the airport cost $40 million, making it the largest and most expensive in the world at that time.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /><ref name="NYCL p. 2" /> The seaplane terminal comprised $7.5 million of this cost, and the hangar alone cost $2 million.<ref name="nyt-1940-03-31">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=David |date=March 31, 1940 |title=Along the Far-Flung Airways; City Field Ocean Base La Guardia Seaplane Unit Speeds Clipper Today --Looks To Future |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/03/31/archives/along-the-farflung-airways-city-field-ocean-base-la-guardia.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803235337/https://www.nytimes.com/1940/03/31/archives/along-the-farflung-airways-city-field-ocean-base-la-guardia.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The land-plane section of the airport opened for commercial flights on December 2, 1939,<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 2, 1939 |title=La Guardia Field Begins Operations; First Airliner Lands at North Beach at Midnight, Greeted by Mayor and 3,000 First Air Passengers Alight at North Beach, Welcomed by Mayor at Midnight Opening |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/12/02/archives/la-guardia-field-begins-operations-first-airliner-lands-at-north.html |access-date=August 6, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806182935/https://www.nytimes.com/1939/12/02/archives/la-guardia-field-begins-operations-first-airliner-lands-at-north.html |url-status=live}}</ref> but the completion of the marine terminal was delayed until March 1940.<ref name="nyt-1940-03-31" /><ref name="p1243016230">{{cite news |date=March 31, 1940 |title=Clippers' Base At North Beach To Open Today: First Flight to Europe From LaGuardia Field Will Start After Dedication |page=6 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1243016230}}}}</ref> This was in part because construction in Bowery Bay had prevented seaplanes from landing there. Seaplanes instead traveled to bases in [[Port Washington, New York]], and in [[Baltimore|Baltimore, Maryland]].<ref name="nyt-1940-03-31" /> === Pan Am use === At a hearing before the [[Civil Aeronautics Board]] in April 1939, [[Pan Am|Pan American Airways]] indicated that it planned to use North Beach Airport as the main U.S. terminal for the transatlantic flights of its [[Boeing 314 Clipper]]s. Under this plan, Clippers would fly to Baltimore if there was bad weather in New York City.<ref name="nyt-1939-04-23">{{Cite news |date=April 23, 1939 |title=Four Ocean Hops a Week Planned; Pan American Airways Tells Officials Two Will Be to France, Two to England |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/04/23/archives/four-ocean-hops-a-week-planned-pan-american-airways-tells-officials.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803224124/https://www.nytimes.com/1939/04/23/archives/four-ocean-hops-a-week-planned-pan-american-airways-tells-officials.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="p539591115">{{Cite news |date=April 12, 1939 |title=Pan American to Have Bases Here and N. Y.: Trippe Tells' CAA North Beach Will Be Principal Transatlantic Depot Baltimore Not Expected to Suffer as Result of Airways' Decision |page=26 |work=The Sun |id={{ProQuest|539591115}}}}</ref> Pan Am leased the Marine Air Terminal from the New York City government the following month.<ref name="p1243118796">{{cite news |date=May 21, 1939 |title=Clipper Opens Regular Mail Line to Europe: 17 Aboard Yankee as She Soars for Francc by Way of Azores and Portugal America Gets a Head Start in North Atlantic Air Service |page=1 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1243118796}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 21, 1939 |title=Clipper at Azores as First Airliner With Europe Mail; Crew of the Clipper Ship Flying First Mail to Europe |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/05/21/archives/clipper-at-azores-as-first-airliner-with-europe-mail-crew-of-the.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803224125/https://www.nytimes.com/1939/05/21/archives/clipper-at-azores-as-first-airliner-with-europe-mail-crew-of-the.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Pan Am also allowed foreign airlines to use the terminal, including [[Imperial Airways]], [[Air France]], and [[KLM]].<ref name="nyt-1940-03-31" /> ==== Opening and early years ==== [[File:LGA MAT 1940.jpg|thumb|A [[Boeing 314 Clipper]] at the Marine Air Terminal c. 1940|alt=Aerial view of a Boeing 314 Clipper at the Marine Air Terminal circa 1940]]The Marine Air Terminal officially opened on March 31, 1940, when a Clipper carrying ten crew members, nine passengers, and over 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of mail departed from the terminal.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 1, 1940 |title=Throng at Airport Sees Clipper Off, Opening City Base; Crowds, Clipper and Passengers at Opening of New York $7,500,000 Sea Airport |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/04/01/archives/throng-at-airport-sees-clipper-off-opening-city-base-crowds-clipper.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803235337/https://www.nytimes.com/1940/04/01/archives/throng-at-airport-sees-clipper-off-opening-city-base-crowds-clipper.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="p151243567">{{cite news |last=Robb |first=Inez |date=April 1, 1940 |title=Cheers Speed First Europe-Bound Plane To Soar From LaGuardia Airport |page=9 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |id={{ProQuest|151243567}}}}</ref> This flight landed in [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]], 18 hours and 35 minutes later, setting a record for an eastbound transatlantic Clipper flight.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 3, 1940 |title=First Clipper Out of La Guardia Terminal Sets a Record for the Crossing to Lisbon |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/04/03/archives/first-clipper-out-of-la-guardia-terminal-sets-a-record-for-the.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803235336/https://www.nytimes.com/1940/04/03/archives/first-clipper-out-of-la-guardia-terminal-sets-a-record-for-the.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The first flying boat to arrive at the Marine Air Terminal arrived from Bermuda on April 1, 1940.<ref name="p1341347855">{{cite news |date=April 2, 1940 |title=Clipper Lands Censored Mail At North Beach: First In at Marine Base; Line Says British Kept 'Few, If Any,' Letters |page=6 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1341347855}}}}</ref> At the time, the terminal served three transatlantic trips per week.<ref name="p1341347855" /> A brochure distributed on the terminal's opening day proclaimed it as "an enduring terminal linking the air routes of the old world with those of the new".<ref name="p133712791">{{cite news |last=Newman |first=Barry |date=May 15, 1973 |title=That Fabulous Airport Of Flying-Boat Days Is Yecch-Blue Now: Some Talk of Restoring Mural, But the Artist Doesn't Care; Landing the Yankee Clippers Fabulous Airport for Flying Boats Is Yecch-Blue Now; Mural Is Gone |page=1 |work=The Wall Street Journal |issn=0099-9660 |id={{ProQuest|133712791}}}}</ref> Originally, members of the public were allowed to visit the Marine Air Terminal's observation deck,<ref name="nyt-1940-03-31" /> which became a popular place to observe seaplane and airplane landings.<ref name="nyt-2022-07-21">{{Cite news |last1=McGeehan |first1=Patrick |last2=Prior |first2=Thomas |date=July 21, 2022 |title=Wait, La Guardia Is Nice Now? Inside New York's $25 Billion Airport Overhaul |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/nyregion/nyc-airports-renovation.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804080750/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/nyregion/nyc-airports-renovation.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The deck was closed for security reasons during World War II.<ref name="nyt-1945-06-30" /> In July 1940, [[American Export Airlines]] and city officials began discussing the possibility of constructing a second seaplane hangar next to the Marine Air Terminal. American Export wanted to operate a transatlantic passenger route from LaGuardia Airport, but Pan Am did not have any more space in its existing hangar.<ref name="p1249141821">{{cite news |date=July 17, 1940 |title=Export Airlines Seeks Terminal At North Beach: Negotiations Start Today on Space for Atlantic Run; New Hangar May Be Built |page=19 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1249141821}}}}</ref> The [[New York City Planning Commission]] approved the proposed hangar in April 1941, allocating $389,000 to the project.<ref name="p513613581">{{cite news |date=April 4, 1941 |title=New Seaplane Hangar Planned at N. Y. Airport |page=5 |work=The Christian Science Monitor |id={{ProQuest|513613581}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 3, 1941 |title=New Hangar Approved; Planning Commission Favors $389,000 Seaplane Building |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1941/04/03/archives/new-hangar-approved-planning-commission-favors-389000-seaplane.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804014058/https://www.nytimes.com/1941/04/03/archives/new-hangar-approved-planning-commission-favors-389000-seaplane.html |url-status=live}}</ref> LaGuardia attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the second hangar on August 4, 1941,<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 5, 1941 |title=Seaplane Hangar Begun at Airport; Mayor Breaks Ground at City Field – He Warns of Sending Britain Transport Planes |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1941/08/05/archives/seaplane-hangar-begun-at-airport-mayor-breaks-ground-at-city-field.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804014059/https://www.nytimes.com/1941/08/05/archives/seaplane-hangar-begun-at-airport-mayor-breaks-ground-at-city-field.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and work on the hangar began that December.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 4, 1941 |title=New Hangar Is Started; It Will House Export Airlines Craft at La Guardia Field |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1941/12/04/archives/new-hangar-is-started-it-will-house-export-airlines-craft-at-la.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804014100/https://www.nytimes.com/1941/12/04/archives/new-hangar-is-started-it-will-house-export-airlines-craft-at-la.html |url-status=live}}</ref> [[James Brooks (painter)|James Brooks]] completed his ''Flight'' mural inside the main terminal building in September 1942.<ref name="nyt-1942-09-20" /><ref name="p1796833884">{{cite magazine |date=September 21, 1942 |title=Flight Around the Rotunda |magazine=Newsweek |volume=10 |issue=12 |pages=76 |id={{ProQuest|1796833884}}}}</ref> The following year, in April 1943, an expansion to the original Pan Am hangar was completed. By then, the Marine Air Terminal had more than one transatlantic trip per day.<ref name="nyt-1943-04-01">{{Cite news |date=April 1, 1943 |title=New Marine Airport for Post-War Needs; Commissioner McKenzie Speaks at Anniversary of Clipper |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1943/04/01/archives/new-marine-airport-for-postwar-needs-commissioner-mckenzie-speaks.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804014101/https://www.nytimes.com/1943/04/01/archives/new-marine-airport-for-postwar-needs-commissioner-mckenzie-speaks.html |url-status=live}}</ref> American Export's new hangar opened in July 1943,<ref name="nyt-1943-07-29">{{Cite news |date=July 29, 1943 |title=New Terminal Ready for Atlantic Planes; American Export Lines Base at City Airport Opens Tomorrow |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1943/07/29/archives/new-terminal-ready-for-atlantic-planes-american-export-lines-base.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804014059/https://www.nytimes.com/1943/07/29/archives/new-terminal-ready-for-atlantic-planes-american-export-lines-base.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and the terminal's observation deck reopened in June 1945.<ref name="nyt-1945-06-30">{{Cite news |date=June 30, 1945 |title=Observation Deck Opens At City Airport Today |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/06/30/archives/observation-deck-opens-at-city-airport-today.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804014100/https://www.nytimes.com/1945/06/30/archives/observation-deck-opens-at-city-airport-today.html |url-status=live}}</ref> A ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' article in 1942 noted that Clipper flights came from as far as "Capetown, Lisbon, New Zealand, the Orient, Alaska and other remote places".<ref name="p1265926480">{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=William H. |date=May 3, 1942 |title=Sightseers Flock to LaGuardia Field Again: Cut in Touring Likely to Bring Larger Crowds Transportation Lo Airport Being Steadily Bettered; Warplanes Often Seen |page=A6 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1265926480}}}}</ref> During the Second World War, many soldiers would fly to Europe and Africa from the terminal, and political figures such as U.S. first lady [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] and British prime minister [[Winston Churchill]] also flew from the terminal.<ref name="p546113347">{{cite news |last=Lacy |first=John |date=July 2, 1980 |title=Flying Hush Hush from La Guardia |page=15 |work=The Hartford Courant |id={{ProQuest|546113347}}}}</ref> Even so, the Marine Air Terminal lasted as a seaplane terminal for less than a decade.<ref name="NYCL p. 3">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1980|ps=.|p=3}}</ref><ref name="NPS p. 5">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1982|ps=.|p=5}}</ref> When the terminal opened, seaplanes were generally more technologically advanced than traditional land planes; the earliest four-engine aircraft, capable of flying long distances, had been seaplanes. However, they were also more prone to disruption, particularly during the winter months and in poor tidal conditions, when they could not operate. Land planes were not affected by these issues, and land-plane technology was also improving quickly.<ref name="nyt-1940-11-10">{{Cite news |date=November 10, 1940 |title=Land Planes Span Ocean; Airline Outgrows Webbed Foot as New Airports Shift Bases Inland |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/11/10/archives/land-planes-span-ocean-airline-outgrows-webbed-foot-as-new-airports.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804014058/https://www.nytimes.com/1940/11/10/archives/land-planes-span-ocean-airline-outgrows-webbed-foot-as-new-airports.html |url-status=live}}</ref> With the outbreak of [[World War II]], new four-engine land planes were being developed, making these seaplanes obsolete.<ref name="NYCL p. 3" /><ref name="NPS p. 5" /> Pan Am stopped operating the 314s into the terminal in June 1945 but continued to operate other service into the terminal.<ref name="n107064048">{{Cite news |last=Erickson |first=Charles |date=September 1, 2000 |title=A Grand New Role for LaGuardia's Marine Air Terminal |pages=43 |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107064048/a-grand-new-role-for-laguardias-marine/ |access-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806182935/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107064048/a-grand-new-role-for-laguardias-marine/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ==== Use as international terminal ==== By the mid-1940s, the small capacity of LaGuardia Airport could not handle the increasing demand for international flights.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 13, 1945 |title=Airline Expansion to Tax Field Here; Capacity of La Guardia Unit Seen Exceeded in Winter by Projected Flights |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/09/13/archives/airline-expansion-to-tax-field-here-capacity-of-la-guardia-unit.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804014059/https://www.nytimes.com/1945/09/13/archives/airline-expansion-to-tax-field-here-capacity-of-la-guardia-unit.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the obsolescence of seaplanes, LaGuardia Airport was the only major airport in the U.S. which offered regular flights to Europe.<ref name="p133712791" /> To address increasing congestion at the Marine Air Terminal, the city government and representatives of several airlines agreed in June 1946 to spend $50,000 on upgrading the customs facilities at the terminal.<ref name="p1284555501">{{cite news |date=June 19, 1946 |title=City Accepts Air-Line Plan To Speed Travel: $50,000 Addition Planned to Marine Terminal for More Customs Officials |page=17A |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1284555501}}}}</ref> Although the terminal had begun to serve land planes, it could only fit one plane at a time, and passengers frequently had to wait three to four hours before passing through customs.<ref name="p1284558453">{{cite news |date=June 12, 1946 |title=City Seeks to Cut 3-Hour Delay Of Air Travelers From Abroad |page=24 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1284558453}}}}</ref> The ''[[Daily Boston Globe]]'' wrote that the rotunda often saw as much traffic as a [[New York City Subway|subway]] station during rush hours, with up to ten overseas flights trying to land nearly simultaneously at the busiest times.<ref name="p840582727">{{cite news |date=January 2, 1950 |title=Overseas Airlines Desert LaGuardia for Idlewild |page=23 |work=Daily Boston Globe |id={{proQuest|840582727}}}}</ref> The Marine Air Terminal served 14 airlines; the overcrowded conditions had prompted one airline owner to purchase an old ferryboat and moor it next to the Marine Air Terminal.<ref name="p1287122323">{{cite news |date=July 30, 1946 |title=Oldtime Flyer Buys Ferry as Air-Line Office: Peru-Line Owner Seeks to Moor It at La Guardia Field as Headquarters |page=13A |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1287122323}}}}</ref><ref name="nyt-">{{Cite news |date=July 30, 1946 |title=Airline Buys Ferryboat To Serve as Terminal |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1946/07/30/archives/airline-buys-ferryboat-to-serve-as-terminal.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203705/https://www.nytimes.com/1946/07/30/archives/airline-buys-ferryboat-to-serve-as-terminal.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The improvements included the addition of a {{convert|1000|ft|m|-long|adj=mid}} covered walkway, three gates for arriving passengers, and two gates for departing passengers.<ref name="nyt-1946-11-08">{{Cite news |date=November 8, 1946 |title=Air Passengers Aided; New Airport Facilities Speed Clearance on Foreign Trips |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1946/11/08/archives/air-passengers-aided-new-airport-facilities-speed-clearance-on.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203706/https://www.nytimes.com/1946/11/08/archives/air-passengers-aided-new-airport-facilities-speed-clearance-on.html |url-status=live}}</ref> After the terminal reopened on November 7, 1946, it was renamed the International Air Terminal, serving all of LaGuardia's transatlantic flights.<ref name="nyt-1946-11-08" /><ref name="p1287144668">{{cite news |date=November 7, 1946 |title=New Facilities At La Guardia To Open Today: Marine Terminal Customs Clearance Stepped Up for Ocean Passengers |page=25B |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1287144668}}}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Idlewild Airport|Idlewild (now JFK) Airport]] was being built in southern Queens to accommodate international and transcontinental flights.<ref name="nyt-2022-07-21" /> The [[Port of New York Authority]] took over operation of LaGuardia and Idlewild airports in June 1947.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 2, 1947 |title=New Airport Offer to Go to Newark; Port Authority, Taking Over Fields, Will Bid for Newark Airport Again |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/06/02/archives/new-airport-offer-to-go-to-newark-port-authority-taking-over-fields.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203706/https://www.nytimes.com/1947/06/02/archives/new-airport-offer-to-go-to-newark-port-authority-taking-over-fields.html |url-status=live}}</ref> That September, Port Authority officials suggested extending one of LaGuardia's runways by infilling an unused plot of land next to the International Air Terminal.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 12, 1947 |title=Navy Seen Keeping Bennett Airfield; Port Authority Has Little Hope for Its Use to Relieve La Guardia, Cullman Says |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/09/12/archives/navy-seen-keeping-bennett-airfield-port-authority-has-little-hope.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203719/https://www.nytimes.com/1947/09/12/archives/navy-seen-keeping-bennett-airfield-port-authority-has-little-hope.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The terminal served 314,000 passengers a year in 1948, many more than it had been built to accommodate.<ref name="p133712791" /> Air traffic at the terminal started to decline after Idlewild opened in 1948.<ref name="p1327305668">{{cite news |date=June 28, 1957 |title=Air Line Using Marine Terminal |page=2 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1327305668}}}}</ref> The terminal was renamed the Overseas Terminal in August 1949 because passengers frequently confused it with Idlewild, which was formally known as New York International Airport.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 1, 1949 |title=News of the Aviation World; United States International Airlines Show Drop in Percentage of Passengers |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/08/01/archives/news-of-the-aviation-world-united-states-international-airlines.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203718/https://www.nytimes.com/1949/08/01/archives/news-of-the-aviation-world-united-states-international-airlines.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In the years after Idlewild opened, most transatlantic flights at the Overseas Terminal were moved over to Idlewild. The terminal had become empty most of the time, and Pan Am, [[American Overseas Airlines]], and [[Trans World Airlines]] were the only airlines still operating international flights from the terminal.<ref name="p840582727" /> Pan Am relocated most of its operations from the terminal in early 1951,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=April 17, 1951 |title=Pan American Set for Idlewild Move; Will Complete Transfer Job Tomorrow—Only Bermuda Service at La Guardia |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/04/17/archives/pan-american-set-for-idlewild-move-will-complete-transfer-job.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203718/https://www.nytimes.com/1951/04/17/archives/pan-american-set-for-idlewild-move-will-complete-transfer-job.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and the last transatlantic flight from the Overseas Terminal departed on April 28, 1951.<ref name="p1320094701">{{cite news |date=April 29, 1951 |title=La Guardia Field Through As a Trans-Atlantic Base |page=2 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1320094701}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 29, 1951 |title=La Guardia Unit Loses Flights |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/04/29/archives/la-guardia-unit-loses-flights.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203705/https://www.nytimes.com/1951/04/29/archives/la-guardia-unit-loses-flights.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Afterward, only flights to Bermuda continued to operate out of Marine Air Terminal.<ref name=":0" /> These flights lasted for less than a year, and service from the Overseas Terminal ceased in February 1952.<ref name="nyt-1995-10-01" /> Around that time, the ''Flight'' mural in the terminal was painted over<ref name="nyt-1995-10-01" /><ref name="Robins p. 228" /> for reasons unknown even to James Brooks, the mural's own artist.<ref name="n106968466">{{Cite news |date=February 2, 1979 |title=Airport Mural to Be Restored |pages=6 |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106968466/airport-mural-to-be-restored/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805013323/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106968466/airport-mural-to-be-restored/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Brooks did not learn that the mural had been painted over until after the fact.<ref name="p133712791" /><ref name="n106970526">{{Cite news |last=Gross |first=Kenneth |date=September 19, 1980 |title=Mural Restored, But the Hurt Remains |pages=17 |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106970526/mural-restored-but-the-hurt/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805013324/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106970526/mural-restored-but-the-hurt/ |url-status=live}}</ref> === 1950s to 1970s === [[File:Large mural.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The mural inside the terminal's rotunda]] According to ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', the terminal was "quickly forgotten" after Clipper service stopped.<ref name="p133712791" /> The terminal was used mostly by private planes, non-scheduled flights, and military transports for high-ranking government officials.<ref name="p1327305668" /><ref name="nyt-1957-10-26">{{Cite news |date=October 26, 1957 |title=Northeast Shifts Its Florida Fleet; Expanded Operations Force Line to Switch Terminals at La Guardia Airport |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/10/26/archives/northeast-shifts-its-florida-fleet-expanded-operations-force-line.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804211059/https://www.nytimes.com/1957/10/26/archives/northeast-shifts-its-florida-fleet-expanded-operations-force-line.html |url-status=live}}</ref> U.S. presidents [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 9, 1953 |title=President's Ride Observed by Few; His. Landing and Motorcade to U. N. Marked by Turnout of Casual Onlookers |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/12/09/archives/presidents-ride-observed-by-few-his-landing-and-motorcade-to-u-n.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804211056/https://www.nytimes.com/1953/12/09/archives/presidents-ride-observed-by-few-his-landing-and-motorcade-to-u-n.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[John F. Kennedy]] sometimes used the terminal when they landed at LaGuardia Airport.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Egan |first=Leo |date=October 12, 1962 |title=President Flies Into City To Support Morgenthau; Dudley With Morgenthau |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1962/10/12/archives/president-flies-into-city-to-support-morgenthau-dudley-with.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805002155/https://www.nytimes.com/1962/10/12/archives/president-flies-into-city-to-support-morgenthau-dudley-with.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The terminal also contained the offices of flight simulation company [[FlightSafety]], founded in 1951 by [[Albert Lee Ueltschi]].<ref name="p219134707">{{cite magazine |last=Temes |first=Judy |date=February 5, 1990 |title=No Fancy Digs, Just Big Profits: Founder Keeps FlightSafety Lean, Shareholders Happy |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=6 |issue=6 |page=1 |id={{ProQuest|219134707}}}}</ref><ref name="Pope 2012">{{cite web |last=Pope |first=Stephen |date=October 19, 2012 |title=Albert Lee Ueltschi, The Father of Modern Aviation Training, Dies at 95 |url=https://www.flyingmag.com/news-albert-lee-ueltschi-father-modern-aviation-training-dies-95/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=FLYING Magazine |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805231448/https://www.flyingmag.com/news-albert-lee-ueltschi-father-modern-aviation-training-dies-95/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Port Authority announced its plans to renovate most of LaGuardia Airport in 1957, but Marine Air Terminal was excluded from these plans.<ref name="nyt-1957-06-192">{{Cite news |last=Ingraham |first=Joseph C. |date=June 19, 1957 |title=La Guardia Field to Be Made Over; Port Authority to Build Big New Passenger Terminal at La Guardia |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/06/19/archives/la-guardia-field-to-be-made-over-port-authority-to-build-big-new.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203709/https://www.nytimes.com/1957/06/19/archives/la-guardia-field-to-be-made-over-port-authority-to-build-big-new.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The terminal reopened for commercial aviation on June 27, 1957, when [[Northeast Airlines]] leased the terminal for its shuttle services between New York and Boston.<ref name="p1327305668" /> Private, non-scheduled, and military flights continued to use the terminal.<ref name="nyt-1957-10-26" /> That October, Northeast relocated Boston flights to LaGuardia's domestic terminal and started using the Marine Air Terminal for its flights to Florida.<ref name="nyt-1957-10-26" /><ref name="p881146287">{{Cite news |date=October 31, 1957 |title=Northeast Florida Fleet Now at Marine Terminal |page=7 |work=Jewish Advocate |id={{proQuest|881146287}}}}</ref> The swap took place because Gate 11 at the domestic terminal was too small for the four-engine [[Douglas DC-6|DC-6Bs]] that were used on the Florida flights.<ref name="p881146287" /> Pan Am moved some of its remaining equipment from the Marine Air Terminal to Idlewild in 1958.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 26, 1958 |title=Pan American Moves Two Miles Across Idlewild to New Hangar; Entire Local Operation Is Shifted – 550 Truckloads of Equipment Taken to $15,000,000, 3-Story Building |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1958/06/26/archives/pan-american-moves-two-miles-across-idlewild-to-new-hangar-entire.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804211058/https://www.nytimes.com/1958/06/26/archives/pan-american-moves-two-miles-across-idlewild-to-new-hangar-entire.html |url-status=live}}</ref> By then, the Marine Air Terminal was no longer an important part of LaGuardia's operation; only five percent of the airport's 5.4 million passengers in 1959 came through the terminal. ''The New York Times'' described the terminal in 1960 as having "an air of decay and desolation", with a dirty skylight, broken equipment, peeling paint, and almost no passengers.<ref name="nyt-1960-05-14">{{Cite news |last=Hudson |first=Edward |date=May 14, 1960 |title=Marine Terminal Marred by Decay; Ea Being Ignored Though La Guardia Is Getting 56 Million in Improvements. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1960/05/14/archives/marine-terminal-marred-by-decay-ea-being-ignored-though-la-guardia.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804211058/https://www.nytimes.com/1960/05/14/archives/marine-terminal-marred-by-decay-ea-being-ignored-though-la-guardia.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1964, American Hydrofoils agreed to operate a shuttle [[hydrofoil]] service from the Marine Air Terminal to [[New York Skyports Seaplane Base|East 25th Street]] and [[Pier 11/Wall Street]] in [[Manhattan]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 3, 1964 |title=Transport News: Hydrofoil Runs; La Guardia Shuttle Service Expected in a Month |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/07/03/archives/transport-news-hydrofoil-runs-la-guardia-shuttle-service-expected.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804211056/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/07/03/archives/transport-news-hydrofoil-runs-la-guardia-shuttle-service-expected.html |url-status=live}}</ref> After the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] banned [[non-scheduled airline]]s from operating regular flights and selling tickets in the 1960s, the Marine Air Terminal sat nearly empty for several years. The Butler Aviation Company, which managed LaGuardia's [[general aviation]] operations, had divided the walkway adjoining the terminal into a waiting room and an office, and there was a pilots' lounge next to the walkway.<ref name=":1" /> Butler leased the terminal and spent $200,000 to renovate the eastern portion of the main building. Following the renovation, the Marine Air Terminal reopened in October 1966 as a general aviation terminal. At the time, there were 400 daily general aviation flights at LaGuardia, about half of the airport's daily air traffic.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Hudson |first=Edward |date=October 30, 1966 |title=La Guardia Opens A New Terminal; Private and Business Craft to Use Marine Section More Comfort in Cars |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/10/30/archives/la-guardia-opens-a-new-terminal-private-and-business-craft-to-use.html |access-date=August 2, 2020 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815185615/https://www.nytimes.com/1966/10/30/archives/la-guardia-opens-a-new-terminal-private-and-business-craft-to-use.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The terminal was then known as Butler Marine Air Terminal.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ferretti |first=Fred |date=October 28, 1983 |title=Queens at 300, Still Growing and Full of Surprises |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/28/arts/queens-at-300-still-growing-and-full-of-surprises.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=March 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328000849/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/28/arts/queens-at-300-still-growing-and-full-of-surprises.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The main building's rotunda was repainted in the 1960s and was again supposed to be repainted in the 1970s.<ref name="p133712791" /> Aviation historian Geoffrey Arend advocated for the restoration of the ''Flight'' mural in the main building's rotunda<ref name="nyt-1995-10-01" /><ref name="n106968466" /> starting in 1976.<ref name="n106970526" /> A reporter for ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'' wrote in 1979 that some of the main building's original Art Deco details remained, mainly on the exterior.<ref name="p512138107">{{cite news |last=Butwin |first=David |date=August 21, 1979 |title=An Art Deco Jewel of an Airport Terminal |page=16 |work=The Christian Science Monitor |id={{ProQuest|512138107}}}}</ref> That February, philanthropist [[Laurance Rockefeller]] and magazine publisher [[DeWitt Wallace]] agreed to partially fund the restoration of the ''Flight'' mural,<ref name="n106968466" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 2, 1979 |title=Gifts to Help Restore Giant Mural at LaG |pages=8 |work=Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106968821/gifts-to-help-restore-giant-mural-at-lag/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805013324/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106968821/gifts-to-help-restore-giant-mural-at-lag/ |url-status=live}}</ref> which was projected to cost $75,000.<ref name="n106970526" /><ref name="n106968466" /> Alan M. Farancz restored the mural,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gross |first=Kenneth |date=December 2, 1979 |title=Memories, Renovations For Airport's Birthday |pages=29 |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106969074/memories-renovations-for-airports/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805013323/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106969074/memories-renovations-for-airports/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and it was rededicated on September 19, 1980.<ref name="n106970526" /><ref name="nyt-1980-09-26">{{Cite news |last=Glueck |first=Grace |date=September 26, 1980 |title=Art People; Guggenheim Collaboration. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/09/26/archives/art-people-guggenheim-collaboration.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805013323/https://www.nytimes.com/1980/09/26/archives/art-people-guggenheim-collaboration.html |url-status=live}}</ref> During that time, the [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] (LPC) considered protecting the terminal as an official New York City landmark<ref>{{Cite news |last=Duggan |first=Dennis |date=March 30, 1980 |title=Landmarks: Gems of Queens |pages=8, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106973386/ 29] |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106973352/landmarks-gems-of-queensdennis-duggan/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805183703/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106973352/landmarks-gems-of-queensdennis-duggan/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Arend supported the designation, but the Port Authority expressed opposition because such a designation would severely restrict what the agency could do with the terminal.<ref name="n106970526" /> The LPC designated the main building's facade and a portion of its interior as landmarks in late 1980, citing it as "the only active terminal in the United States dating from the first generation of passenger air travel".<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 3, 1980 |title=Terminal at LaG Is Landmark |pages=268 |work=Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106971049/terminal-at-lag-is-landmark/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805013324/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106971049/terminal-at-lag-is-landmark/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The main building was also listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on July 9, 1982.<ref name="nris_1982">{{cite web |date=March 5, 1985 |title=Federal Register: 48 Fed. Reg. 8425 (Mar 1, 1983) |url=https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/fedreg/fr048/fr048041/fr048041.pdf |access-date=March 8, 2020 |publisher=Library of Congress |page=8654 |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505234927/https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/fedreg/fr048/fr048041/fr048041.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> ===Shuttle use=== [[File:Marine Air Terminal - NYC taxis in 2024.jpg|thumb|Taxis waiting in front of the Marine Air Terminal]] ==== Pan Am Shuttle ==== Pan Am announced its [[Pan Am Shuttle]] service from New York to Boston and Washington in 1986,<ref name="p219167768">{{cite magazine |last=Sternberg |first=Bill |date=August 11, 1986 |title=Pan Am's Shuttle Hits Rough Winds |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=2 |issue=32 |page=1 |id={{ProQuest|219167768}}}}</ref> having purchased the rights to [[New York Air]]'s shuttle service.<ref name="nyt-1990-05-19">{{Cite news |last=Salpukas |first=Agis |date=May 19, 1990 |title=Pan Am's Shuttle Put Up for Sale |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/19/business/pan-am-s-shuttle-put-up-for-sale.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805002155/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/19/business/pan-am-s-shuttle-put-up-for-sale.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="p135188457">{{cite news |last=Carley |first=William E. |date=September 30, 1986 |title=Pan Am and Eastern Gird for Battle Over Shuttle Flights at La Guardia: Who Flies the Shuttle |page=35 |work=The Wall Street Journal |issn=0099-9660 |id={{ProQuest|135188457}}}}</ref> The airline initially planned to operate from two gates at the main terminal, but these gates were too small to fit the [[Boeing 727]] and [[Airbus A300]] fleet on the route, so Pan Am built new gates at the Marine Air Terminal.<ref name="p219167768" /> Construction of these gates began at the end of August 1986.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schmitt |first=Eric |date=August 28, 1986 |title=Texas Air Deal Seen On Shuttle |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/28/business/company-news-texas-air-deal-seen-on-shuttle.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805213814/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/28/business/company-news-texas-air-deal-seen-on-shuttle.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Pan Am spent $23 million to build a prefabricated structure next to the main building. The structure was completed in 41 days, as Pan Am was contractually obligated to begin shuttle flights by October 1986.<ref name="nyt-1986-12-21">{{Cite news |last=James |first=George |date=December 21, 1986 |title=La Guardia's Growth Plans Irk Queens Residents |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/21/nyregion/la-guardia-s-growth-plans-irk-queens-residents.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805213813/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/21/nyregion/la-guardia-s-growth-plans-irk-queens-residents.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Local politicians and preservationists were irate at the changes.<ref name="nyt-1986-12-21" /><ref name="p285323250" /> Days before the renovations were to be completed, several politicians attempted to halt the project, claiming that the Port Authority had illegally modified the portion of the terminal that had been designated as a landmark. Port Authority executives said they were only renovating a portion of the building that was not protected by the landmark designation.<ref name="p285323250">{{cite news |last=Jetter |first=Alexis |date=September 28, 1986 |title=Airport Work Challenged |page=19 |work=Newsday |id={{ProQuest|285323250}}}}</ref> Rocco Manniello, who operated a small Italian restaurant at the rear of the main building, renovated his restaurant during this time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schmitt |first=Eric |date=December 14, 1986 |title=Restaurateur Brings a Taste of Italy to La Guardia |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/14/nyregion/restaurateur-brings-a-taste-of-italy-to-la-guardia.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805213809/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/14/nyregion/restaurateur-brings-a-taste-of-italy-to-la-guardia.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Pan Am Shuttle flights started operating from the Marine Air Terminal on October 1, 1986.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Blumenthal |first=Ralph |date=October 2, 1986 |title=Computers Falter but Pan Am Shuttle Makes Debut |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/02/nyregion/computers-falter-but-pan-am-shuttle-makes-debut.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805002155/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/02/nyregion/computers-falter-but-pan-am-shuttle-makes-debut.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="p1639911646">{{cite news |last=Selvin |first=Barbara |date=October 2, 1986 |title=Pan Am's Shuttle Off and Running |page=9 |work=Newsday |id={{ProQuest|1639911646}}}}</ref> The terminal was relatively remote, being about {{convert|0.25|mi}} from the other buildings at LaGuardia Airport.<ref name="nyt-1988-05-12" /> Taxicabs had to take a circuitous route to access the terminal,<ref name="p219112524">{{cite magazine |last=Sternberg |first=Bill |date=September 21, 1987 |title=Why Pan Am Falls Short |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=3 |issue=38 |page=1 |id={{ProQuest|219112524}}}}</ref> and taxi drivers were hesitant to pick up passengers at the terminal, prompting Pan Am to sponsor giveaways for taxi drivers who drove there.<ref name="nyt-1988-05-12">{{Cite news |last=Hicks |first=Jonathan P. |date=May 12, 1988 |title=Company News; Pan Am Shuttle Turns the Corner |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/12/business/company-news-pan-am-shuttle-turns-the-corner.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805002155/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/12/business/company-news-pan-am-shuttle-turns-the-corner.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="p219112524" /> As a result, the shuttle was initially unable to compete with [[Eastern Air Lines]], which carried the majority of passengers who flew between New York and Boston.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schmitt |first=Eric |date=February 21, 1987 |title=Company News; Pan Am Threatens To Sell Its Shuttle |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/21/business/company-news-pan-am-threatens-to-sell-its-shuttle.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805002154/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/21/business/company-news-pan-am-threatens-to-sell-its-shuttle.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Maynard |first=Micheline |date=August 17, 1987 |title=Eastern and Pan Am Duel For Frequent Shuttle Fliers |pages=124 |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107023494/eastern-and-pan-am-duel-for-frequent/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805231448/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107023494/eastern-and-pan-am-duel-for-frequent/ |url-status=live}}</ref> To attract passengers, Pan Am started operating a ferry line between Wall Street and the terminal in August 1987 and added an intermediate stop at the [[East 34th Street Ferry Landing]] to the route in July 1988.<ref name="p219112524" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lyall |first=Sarah |date=December 6, 1987 |title=Air Shuttle's Latest Twist: Ferry Ride |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/06/nyregion/air-shuttle-s-latest-twist-ferry-ride.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805213812/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/06/nyregion/air-shuttle-s-latest-twist-ferry-ride.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Seaton |first=Charles |date=August 28, 1988 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100354247/daily-news/ |title=Ferryboats Cut New Path for Commuters |work=New York Daily News |access-date=January 7, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> This improved ridership to the point that Pan Am Shuttle was one of the airline's only profitable routes.<ref name="nyt-1990-05-19" /> Pan Am also opened a club for business flyers within the terminal.<ref name="p219109349">{{cite magazine |last=Fine |first=Brenda |date=February 26, 1990 |title=Airline Clubs Jostle for Business Travelers |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=6 |issue=9 |page=22 |id={{ProQuest|219109349}}}}</ref> Nonetheless, by 1990, Pan Am sought to sell the shuttle.<ref name="nyt-1990-05-19" /> ==== Delta Shuttle ==== [[Delta Air Lines]] acquired the Pan Am Shuttle from Pan Am in 1991 and started operating the [[Delta Shuttle]] from the Marine Air Terminal using [[Boeing 727|Boeing 727-200s]].<ref name="p224317088">{{Cite magazine |last=Woolsey |first=James P. |date=Oct 1991 |title=New North Atlantic Heavyweight |volume=28 |issue=10 |page=24 |id={{proQuest|224317088}} |magazine=Air Transport World}}</ref> Delta also inherited the ferry route to Manhattan, which was unprofitable despite receiving large subsidies from Delta.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Clifford J. |date=October 20, 1995 |title=A Ferry to the Plane: Port Authority Officials Look Into the Idea for Airports |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/20/nyregion/a-ferry-to-the-plane-port-authority-officials-look-into-the-idea-for-airports.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805231449/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/20/nyregion/a-ferry-to-the-plane-port-authority-officials-look-into-the-idea-for-airports.html |url-status=live}}</ref> By 1995, the Port Authority was considering restoring the facade and interior of the terminal's main building. Architectural firm [[Beyer Blinder Belle]] was hired to restore the terminal building to its original design, including light fixtures, canopies, and signage, at a cost of $600,000.<ref name="nyt-1995-10-01" /> A bust of Fiorello La Guardia was relocated from the airport's main terminal to the Marine Air Terminal in 1997.<ref>{{Cite news |last=MacFarquhar |first=Neil |date=July 13, 1997 |title=La Guardia Sees Its Future in Smart, Small Shops |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/13/nyregion/la-guardia-sees-its-future-in-smart-small-shops.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805231448/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/13/nyregion/la-guardia-sees-its-future-in-smart-small-shops.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Harbor Shuttle, which operated ferry service from the Marine Air Terminal to Manhattan, was sold in 1998 to [[NY Waterway]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ravo |first=Nick |date=May 5, 1998 |title=Metro Business; Delta Ferry Service Is Sold |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/05/nyregion/metro-business-delta-ferry-service-is-sold.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805231448/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/05/nyregion/metro-business-delta-ferry-service-is-sold.html |url-status=live}}</ref> which discontinued the service in 2000.<ref name="p279758239">{{cite news |last=Robin |first=Joshua |date=December 2, 2003 |title=Plan to Offer Ferry Service to Airports |page=A06 |work=Newsday |id={{ProQuest|279758239}}}}</ref><ref name="Newman 2004">{{cite web |last=Newman |first=Philip |date=February 12, 2004 |title=PA Wants Ferry Companies to Provide Airport Services – QNS.com |url=https://qns.com/2004/02/pa-wants-ferry-companies-to-provide-airport-services/ |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=QNS.com |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806182942/https://qns.com/2004/02/pa-wants-ferry-companies-to-provide-airport-services/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Port Authority unsuccessfully<ref name="CFS2013">{{Cite report |url=https://edc.nyc/sites/default/files/filemanager/Resources/Studies/2013_Citywide_Ferry_Study/Citywide_Ferry_Study_-_Final_Report.pdf |title=Comprehensive Citywide Ferry Study 2013 Final Report |year=2013 |website=nycedc.org |publisher=New York City Economic Development Corporation |page=35 |access-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806182943/https://edc.nyc/sites/default/files/filemanager/Resources/Studies/2013_Citywide_Ferry_Study/Citywide_Ferry_Study_-_Final_Report.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> attempted to revive the ferry service in subsequent years.<ref name="Newman 2004" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kilgannon |first=Corey |date=February 26, 2004 |title=Metro Briefing | New York: Queens: Ferry Service Seen For La Guardia |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/26/nyregion/metro-briefing-new-york-queens-ferry-service-seen-for-la-guardia.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805231451/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/26/nyregion/metro-briefing-new-york-queens-ferry-service-seen-for-la-guardia.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Delta started renovating the terminal in early 1998 at a cost of $7.5 million.<ref name="p195242325">{{Cite magazine |date=December 7, 1999 |title=Delta Shuttle Opens Renovated Terminal at La Guardia |volume=6 |issue=48 |page=1 |id={{proQuest|195242325}} |magazine=World Airport Week}}</ref> The Marine Air Terminal formally reopened in November 1999 with a new business center and concession stands.<ref name="p195242325" /><ref name="nyt-1999-11-17">{{Cite news |last=McDowell |first=Edwin |date=November 17, 1999 |title=Business Travel; The Delta Shuttle Sets the Formal Opening of Its Renovated Marine Air Terminal Tomorrow. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/17/business/business-travel-delta-shuttle-sets-formal-opening-its-renovated-marine-air.html |access-date=August 2, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802172846/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/17/business/business-travel-delta-shuttle-sets-formal-opening-its-renovated-marine-air.html |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time, 80 percent of passengers at the terminal were business travelers,<ref name="p195242325" /> and about 6,000 of the airport's 65,000 daily passengers used the terminal.<ref name="n107064048" /> Following this renovation, most passengers were diverted past the main terminal building.<ref name="n107064048" /> The Port Authority spent about $6.5 million<ref name="nyt-2004-12-30" /> to restore the terminal in 2004, ahead of the 65th anniversary of the airport's first commercial flight.<ref name="nyt-2004-12-30">{{Cite news |last=Dunlap |first=David W. |date=December 30, 2004 |title=Rebuilding, Yes, But Taking Pains to Preserve, Too |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/30/nyregion/rebuilding-yes-but-taking-pains-to-preserve-too.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805235123/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/30/nyregion/rebuilding-yes-but-taking-pains-to-preserve-too.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=LaGuardia Airport Celebrates 65 Years of Service |url=https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/press-room/press-release-archives/2004_press_releases/laguardia_airportcelebrates65yearsofservice.html |publisher=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507043222/https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/press-room/press-release-archives/2004_press_releases/laguardia_airportcelebrates65yearsofservice.html |url-status=live}}</ref> As part of the project, all of the tiles in the main building's frieze were removed for restoration. LaGuardia's general manager at the time called it the "crown jewel of the airport".<ref name="nyt-2004-12-30" /> Delta added a business center to the terminal in 2006.<ref name="p398958923">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Avery |date=May 23, 2006 |title=Travel Watch |page=D5 |work=The Wall Street Journal |issn=0099-9660 |id={{ProQuest|398958923}}}}</ref> The Port Authority voted to install vehicular bollards in front of the terminal in 2007 due to security concerns following the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref name="Dunlap 2017">{{cite web |last=Dunlap |first=David W. |date=July 26, 2007 |title=Bollards at La Guardia, Steel at Ground Zero |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bollards-at-la-guardia-steel-at-ground-zero/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=City Room |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805231449/https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bollards-at-la-guardia-steel-at-ground-zero/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="p280138187">{{cite news |last=Naanes |first=Marlene |date=July 27, 2007 |title=Freedom Tower Steel to Go Up |page=A20 |work=Newsday |id={{ProQuest|280138187}}}}</ref> In 2009, it was announced as part of a [[LaGuardia Airport|slot-swap transaction]] that Delta Air Lines would relocate to LaGuardia's Central Terminal, while [[US Airways]] would start operating its [[US Airways Shuttle]] out of the Marine Air Terminal.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barron |first=James |date=August 12, 2009 |title=Delta to Increase Service at La Guardia |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/nyregion/13laguardia.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507103948/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/nyregion/13laguardia.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=August 12, 2009 |title=Delta, US Airways Swapping Slots |url=https://www.deseret.com/2009/8/12/20334184/delta-us-airways-swapping-slots |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=Deseret News |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809145353/https://www.deseret.com/2009/8/12/20334184/delta-us-airways-swapping-slots |url-status=live}}</ref> The swap would have allowed Delta to operate hourly flights between LaGuardia and [[O'Hare International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stellin |first=Susan |date=April 20, 2010 |title=Airline Shuttles Smaller but Still Flying Hourly |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/business/20shuttle.html |access-date=August 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=February 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227115439/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/business/20shuttle.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The proposed swap between US Airways and Delta never took place.<ref name="U.S. 2011">{{cite web |date=May 24, 2011 |title=Delta, US Airways Reach Revised Slot-Swap Deal |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-delta-idUSLNE74N00S20110524 |access-date=August 6, 2022 |agency=Reuters |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806004526/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-delta-idUSLNE74N00S20110524 |url-status=live}}</ref> Delta Shuttle continued to operate from the Marine Air Terminal until December 8, 2017.<ref name="Delta News Hub 2017">{{cite web |date=October 20, 2017 |title=Delta to Consolidate New York-LGA Operation in Terminals C and D |url=https://news.delta.com/delta-consolidate-new-york-lga-operation-terminals-c-and-d |access-date=August 2, 2022 |website=Delta News Hub |archive-date=August 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802172848/https://news.delta.com/delta-consolidate-new-york-lga-operation-terminals-c-and-d |url-status=live}}</ref> Meanwhile, in 2010, the [[New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission]] introduced a pilot program that allowed Delta Shuttle passengers to share a taxicab between the Marine Air Terminal and Manhattan, but this program was unpopular.<ref name="Grynbaum 2011">{{cite web |last=Grynbaum |first=Michael M. |date=January 25, 2011 |title=Taxi-Sharing Sites Adjusted for Demand, Or Lack of It |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/taxi-sharing-sites-adjusted-for-demand-or-lack-of-it/ |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=City Room |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806182941/https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/taxi-sharing-sites-adjusted-for-demand-or-lack-of-it/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ==== LaGuardia redevelopment ==== [[File:LaGuardiaAirportDiagram.pdf|thumb|alt=Diagram of LaGuardia Airport in 2022; Terminal A is at center left|Diagram of LaGuardia Airport in 2022, showing Terminal A (Marine Air Terminal) at center left]] In 2015, New York governor [[Andrew Cuomo]] and vice president [[Joe Biden]] announced a $4 billion plan to rebuild most of LaGuardia's terminals as one contiguous building.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGeehan |first=Patrick |date=July 27, 2015 |title=La Guardia Airport to Be Overhauled by 2021, Cuomo and Biden Say |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/nyregion/la-guardia-airport-to-be-rebuilt-by-2021-cuomo-and-biden-say.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=July 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728040717/http://www.nytimes.com//2015//07//28//nyregion//la-guardia-airport-to-be-rebuilt-by-2021-cuomo-and-biden-say.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The Marine Air Terminal was preserved as part of the plan because it was an official landmark.<ref name="Guse 2022">{{cite web |last=Guse |first=Clayton |date=June 1, 2022 |title=Final New Terminal at LaGuardia Opens, Hochul Says Cuomo Was 'Genesis' of Project |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-laguardia-airport-opens-hochul-cuomo-20220601-ahlyusl72vcuhbnak66l5trupy-story.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |website=New York Daily News |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803204308/https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-laguardia-airport-opens-hochul-cuomo-20220601-ahlyusl72vcuhbnak66l5trupy-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> On December 9, 2017,<ref name="ABC7 New York 2017" /> as part of the LaGuardia redevelopment, Delta Air Lines ceased shuttle operations out of the Marine Air Terminal, moving back to Terminal C. Alaska Airlines and JetBlue relocated their operations from Terminal B to the Marine Air Terminal.<ref name="ABC7 New York 2017">{{cite web |date=December 6, 2017 |title=6 Airlines at LaGuardia Airport Changing Terminals This Weekend |url=https://abc7ny.com/laguardia-airport-queens-terminals-travel/2745768/ |access-date=August 4, 2022 |website=ABC7 New York |archive-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804203705/https://abc7ny.com/laguardia-airport-queens-terminals-travel/2745768/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="amNewYork 2019">{{Cite web |last1=Barone |first1=Vincent |last2=Cook |first2=Lauren |date=August 12, 2019 |title=LaGuardia Airport Construction Explained: Renovation Plans, Timeline, Funding and More |url=https://www.amny.com/transit/laguardia-airport-construction-explained-renovation-plans-timeline-funding-and-more-1-12268455/ |access-date=August 6, 2022 |work=amNewYork |language=en-US |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209221006/https://www.amny.com/transit/laguardia-airport-construction-explained-renovation-plans-timeline-funding-and-more-1-12268455/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Alaska Airlines ended all service from LaGuardia Airport on October 27, 2018.<ref name="Clinch Fiorentino 2018">{{cite web |last1=Clinch |first1=Matt |last2=Fiorentino |first2=Michael |date=May 15, 2018 |title=Alaska Airlines Is Planning to Close Its New York Pilot Base |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/15/alaska-airlines-plans-to-pull-its-planes-and-pilots-out-of-new-york.html |access-date=August 5, 2022 |publisher=CNBC |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806004522/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/15/alaska-airlines-plans-to-pull-its-planes-and-pilots-out-of-new-york.html |url-status=live}}</ref> JetBlue used the Marine Air Terminal for flights to [[Logan International Airport|Boston]], [[Orlando International Airport|Orlando]], [[Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport|Fort Lauderdale]], and [[Palm Beach International Airport|West Palm Beach]]. The airline renovated the terminal as part of a project completed in early 2019.<ref name="Hagl Lee Piscopo 2019">{{cite web |last1=Hagl |first1=Chase |last2=Lee |first2=Will |last3=Piscopo |first3=Vincenzo Claudio |date=February 1, 2019 |title=JetBlue Completes Renovation of LaGuardia Airport's Historic Marine Air Terminal |url=https://airlinegeeks.com/2019/02/01/jetblue-completes-renovation-of-laguardia-airports-historic-marine-air-terminal/ |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=AirlineGeeks |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806182933/https://airlinegeeks.com/2019/02/01/jetblue-completes-renovation-of-laguardia-airports-historic-marine-air-terminal/ |url-status=live}}</ref> On April 28, 2021, [[Spirit Airlines]] started service from the Marine Air Terminal for its flights to Fort Lauderdale, although the airline's other destinations were still located in Terminal C.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pallini |first1=Thomas |title=Spirit Is Launching Summer Flights Between LaGuardia Airport and Los Angeles, But a Decades-Old Rule Is Limiting Them to 1 Day per Week |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/spirit-airlines-launching-4-new-routes-from-new-yorks-laguardia-2021-3 |website=Business Insider |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507121702/https://www.businessinsider.com/spirit-airlines-launching-4-new-routes-from-new-yorks-laguardia-2021-3 |url-status=live}}</ref> Spirit moved its remaining LaGuardia services to the Marine Air Terminal the following March.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Ben |date=March 29, 2022 |title=Spirit Airlines Consolidates LaGuardia Operations to Terminal A |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2022/03/29/spirit-airlines-consolidates-laguardia-operations.html |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=New York Business Journals |archive-date=March 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329170155/https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2022/03/29/spirit-airlines-consolidates-laguardia-operations.html |url-status=live}}</ref> JetBlue moved all operations to Terminal B on July 9, 2022, after having previously split its operations between Terminal B and the Marine Air Terminal.<ref name="Hoogensen 2022">{{cite web |last=Hoogensen |first=Finn |date=July 8, 2022 |title=JetBlue Relocates at LaGuardia Airport to Terminal B |url=https://pix11.com/news/local-news/queens/jetblue-relocates-to-laguardia-airports-terminal-b/ |access-date=August 3, 2022 |website=PIX11 |archive-date=July 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713030437/https://pix11.com/news/local-news/queens/jetblue-relocates-to-laguardia-airports-terminal-b/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In mid-2023, JetBlue announced that, if its merger with Spirit was permitted to go through, it would sell Spirit's six gates and 22 [[landing slot]]s at the Marine Air Terminal to Frontier Group Holdings during 2024.<ref name="Yahoo Finance 2023 f443">{{cite web | title=JetBlue to spin-off Spirit Airlines' holdings at NY airport | website=Yahoo Finance | date=June 1, 2023 | url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jetblue-spin-off-spirit-airlines-223017180.html | access-date=September 30, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Tedder 2023 q490">{{cite web | last=Tedder | first=Michael | title=Frontier Could Be Set For A Massive Boost In This Key Market | website=TheStreet | date=June 5, 2023 | url=https://www.thestreet.com/retail/frontier-could-be-set-for-a-massive-boost-in-this-key-market | access-date=March 18, 2024}}</ref> The JetBlue–Spirit merger did not go through.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Isidore |first=Chris |date=March 4, 2024 |title=JetBlue Pulls out of Deal to Buy Spirit Airlines {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/04/business/jetblue-ends-spirit-deal/index.html |access-date=March 4, 2024 |publisher=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Frontier Airlines relocated to Terminal B in April 2024,<ref>{{cite web | title=LaGuardia Gateway Partners Welcomes Frontier Airlines to LGA Terminal B | website=Metropolitan Airport News | date=April 12, 2024 | url=https://metroairportnews.com/laguardia-gateway-partners-welcomes-frontier-airlines-to-lga-terminal-b/ | access-date=April 14, 2024}}</ref> leaving Spirit as the only airline at the Marine Air Terminal.<ref name="Aviation a211">{{cite web | title=Aviation | website=LaGuardia Airport | url=https://www.laguardiaairport.com/flight/airlines | access-date=April 14, 2024}}</ref>
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