Opening Up, Part I

The Excitement of an Airport Opening: LaGuardia Airport

The opening of an airport is a big deal today, but it was an even bigger deal in the late 1930s.  LaGuardia Airport was formally dedicated on a sunny, crisp day in mid-October, 1939.  Construction had begun in 1937, so by the time October 15 came along, New Yorkers were ready and waiting.  The excitement was palpable. 

This is a picture of the crowds who gathered at the airport for the dedication of the airport in an article published on the front page of the Long Island Daily Press on October 16, 1939.
Photo: fultonhistory.com

According to a front page article in the Long Island Daily Press published in the following day's paper, “approximately 200,000 persons jammed the half-mile concrete apron in front of the administration buildings and hangars” in order to witness the event.  Visitors paid a dime to enter and watched the planes take off and land over the course of the day.  

Newspapers perpetuated the hype by releasing sketches of what the future airport was going to look like.  In the case of North Beach, air travel was not only the latest craze, but the structure itself also represented “the latest ideas in airport architecture.”[1] 

This is an article from the September 1938 edition of Mechanix Illustrated, which releases sketches of what the airport was expected to look like.  
Photo: blog.modernmechanix.com

However, back then the airport wasn’t known as LaGuardia; it was officially named New York Municipal Airport, but was more commonly known as North Beach after the private airfield which the 1939 airport replaced as well as the former amusement park and beer gardens which had inhabited the spot before the space was used for air travel.  

This is a photo from the 1920s of the Gala Amusement Park -- the fairground which was originally located on airport grounds.  
Photo: Port Authority of NY & NJ

LaGuardia was the name of the Mayor who spearheaded the campaign to bring an airport to New York City, so intense was his outrage at having to land in New Jersey that on one occasion he refused to exit the plane until he was safely in New York.  Fittingly, Fiorello LaGuardia was among the speakers who addressed the crowd for the airport's dedication and his presence in particular added to the day’s overall appeal. 

NYC Mayor LaGuardia addresses a rapt audience for the dedication of the airport. 
Photo: Port Authority of NY & NJ

The airport did not formally open until December 2^nd, 1939 and in 1947 when the Port Authority took over control of the airport, it was renamed LaGuardia Airport.   However, the excitement was far from over for LaGuardia; a new Central Terminal Building was finished construction in 1964, which local residents continued to fawn over.  Further extensions were also completed in 1967 and again in 1992. 

The importance of a well functioning airport is not lost on governments of today, which is why Dubai is in the process of constructing a newer, bigger commercial airport, which welcomed its first commercial flight earlier this week.  The airport is expected to open with five runways in 2025 (not a huge change from LaGuardia’s original four runways!), which will enable passenger traffic to rise to a whopping 160 million per year.  Although the airport has yet to officially open, people are already anxiously awaiting the unveiling of what is sure to be a fantastic airport. 

Although sketches of Dubai's new Al Maktuom Airport hardly resemble those of the 1930s, they function in precisely the same way -- a mechanism with which  to engage the public in infrastructure.  
Photo: DailyMail.co.uk

New York has not lost sight of the value of new airport infrastructure either – JFK is home to several new and modern terminal buildings, as is Newark.  More importantly, LaGuardia is embarking on an exciting project; the construction of a new Central Terminal Building, which will increase their capacity and allow them to effectively introduce the next generation of airport technology and amenities.  

So, although some of the mystery and intrigue of air travel may have evaporated over the years, we’re pleased to find that new airports are proving to be just as exciting and important now as they were over 70 years ago. 

Also, keep an eye out for posts on the opening of JFK and Newark airports – they're soon to follow as well! 

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[1] “New York Builds Big Airport for Land and Sea Plane Service,” Mechanix Illustrated September 1938, accessed via http://blog.modernmechanix.com.