While the airport is a hub for both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, commercial service is strictly governed by unique regulations including a curfew, a slot system, and a "perimeter rule" prohibiting most non-stop flights to or from destinations greater than 1,500 mi (2,400 km).

[14] By 1930, the airport had been improved with hangars and night-illuminated runways,[15] and it housed seaplanes of the recently reorganized New York City Police Department Aviation Unit.

In a ceremony that same day, representatives from the forerunner to Trans World Airlines announced their bid to establish the nation's first transcontinental airmail route to the airport using Ford Trimotors; in attendance were Eleanor Roosevelt and Charles Lindbergh.

Likewise, this centralized location also enabled the airport to host hourly air taxi services between Newark and Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field that September.

LaGuardia had been a long-time aviation advocate; in a 1927 editorial penned while serving as a US Representative of New York, he criticized both the federal and state governments' slow progress in establishing municipal airports in the city.

[24] Military and shipping concerns eventually shut down the proposal,[25][26] but LaGuardia and industry leaders maintained consensus that New York City needed a central "express" airport to complement the farther-flung Floyd Bennett Field, which it completed in 1930.

[30] While it would still be years before TWA arrived at North Beach, LaGuardia had begun fulfilling one of his ultimate goals: extracting New York City from "the humiliating position of seeing all its passengers and mail traffic go to a nearby state.

During the Floyd Bennett experiment, LaGuardia and American executives began an alternative plan to build a new airport in Queens, where it could take advantage of the new Queens–Midtown Tunnel to Manhattan.

With backing and assistance from the Works Progress Administration, construction began in 1937, it is on the waterfront of Flushing and Bowery Bays in East Elmhurst and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria and Jackson Heights.

The reduced demand for air travel following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City quickly slowed LaGuardia's traffic growth, helping to mitigate the airport's delays.

Ongoing Port Authority investments to renovate the Central Terminal Building and improve the airfield layout have also made the airport's operations more efficient in recent years.

US Airways, in return, would have received 42 operating slot pairs at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Crystal City, Virginia, and be granted the authority to begin service from the US to São Paulo, Brazil, and Tokyo, Japan.

[56] In November 2019, Southwest Airlines ended service to Newark primarily due to the Boeing 737 MAX groundings, poor performance, and inadequate facilities, and consolidated its New York–area operations to LaGuardia and Islip.

[57] In April 2010, Port Authority director Christopher Ward announced that the agency had hired consultants to explore a full demolition and rebuilding of LaGuardia's Central Terminal.

By locating the terminals closer to the Grand Central Parkway, additional space for aircraft taxiways and hold areas was created, reducing ground delays.

[64][67] Construction of the project's first phase started in spring of 2016, once final plans were approved by the Port Authority board, with the entire redevelopment scheduled to be completed by late 2022.

[64][69] In late March 2016, the comprehensive plans for the redevelopment were approved unanimously between the Port Authority of New York, New Jersey, and LaGuardia Gateway Partners for the Terminal B Project.

Other features include a dedicated drop-off area for carry-on-only passengers, biometric scanning technology, a sensory room designed for those with autism, and Delta's largest Sky Club to date.

Because of its congested nature and proximity to dense urban neighborhoods, commercial flights to and from the airport are subject to several restrictions enacted by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

Passengers and crewmembers on these flights clear customs at their departure airport and—for immigration purposes—are considered to be on the US territory during their entire journey, allowing them to exit LaGuardia in the same manner as domestic travelers.

[96] To mitigate the impact of aircraft noise pollution and facilitate airfield maintenance, a seasonal curfew traditionally exists between the hours of 12 am and 6 am during the warm months of the year.

[97] Additionally, a 1984 "perimeter rule" implemented by PANYNJ bars airline flights to and from points farther than 1,500 mi (2,400 km), except on Saturdays or to Denver, Colorado.

With long haul operations generally requiring heavier fuel loads and larger aircraft, the regulation aims to eliminate excess perceived noise generated by such flights.

[101][102] Operators are granted time-sensitive individual takeoff and landing rights in accordance with the International Air Transport Association's Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG).

[103] In 2020, the FAA responded to drastic reductions in air traffic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by suspending the expiration of unused slots at several US airports including LaGuardia.

A private seaplane base, EDO (FAA LID: 4NY2), operates three waterways in Flushing Bay and the East River north of LaGuardia Airport.

The 1.03-acre (0.42 ha) space[130] contains park benches and lawns adjacent the Grand Central Parkway along the southern perimeter of the airport and is a prime viewing location for aircraft spotting.

[168] Taxicabs serving LaGuardia are metered and licensed by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, and uniformed airport employees are stationed to dispatch fares.

[170] In 2019, PANYNJ approved the implementation of "airport access fee" surcharges on FHV and taxi trips, with the revenue earmarked to support the agency's capital programs.

[171] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Media related to LaGuardia Airport at Wikimedia Commons