[5][6] O'Connor further outlined the city's plans for the heliport at a budget hearing in January 1955, mentioning that it would be built atop a terminal on a L-shaped pier that would be used to transfer cargo from railroad car floats to trucks.

[7][8][9] O'Connor replied to Tobin's letter the next day and denied permission for the PA to build the proposed temporary heliport, citing safety concerns related to its close proximity to the West Side Elevated Highway.

[10] In September 1954, the PA shared letters from Igor Sikorsky and Colonel William B. Bunker that both backed its proposed heliport design.

[11] Three months later, O'Connor shared a report by the consulting engineering firm of Frederic R. Harris Inc. that raised concerns over the safety of motorists driving adjacent to the proposed heliport—both on the elevated highway and on the roadway beneath it.

[18][20] The heliport opened on September 26, 1956 with New York Airways operating Sikorsky S-55s outfitted with pontoons carrying mail and cargo to La Guardia and Newark airports.

The first flights carrying passengers were delayed for a couple of weeks to allow helicopter pilots to better familiarize themselves with wind and operating conditions at the waterfront landing pad.

[22] On December 5, 1956, New York Airways began operating scheduled passenger flights between the West 30th Street Heliport and La Guardia and Newark airports using five-passenger Sikorsky S-55s.

[23][24] Direct helicopter service to and from New York International Airport was added in August 1957, which coincided with the introduction of twelve-passenger Sikorsky S-58s equipped with floats.

[27][28] The low passenger volumes were thought to be a result of competition by other forms of ground transportation (taxis and limousines) and scheduling issues related to unreliable equipment.

[32][33] In December 1969, Americus Airways began providing daily scheduled helicopter service between Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton Airport in Pennsylvania and the West 30th Street Heliport using Sikorsky S-55s.

RIA helicopters landed at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, which was located a block away from the Resorts International Hotel-Casino.

[45][46][47][48] Trump Air ended is helicopter service to Atlantic City in 1991, citing financial difficulties and rising fuel costs following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

[55] Air Pegasus continued to serve as the heliport's operator, and oversight of the facility was taken over from the PA by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

After the agreement with the Hudson River Park Trust expired, Air Pegasus continued operating the heliport on a month-to-month renewal of the lease.

[65] The 2013 amendment to the Hudson River Park Act called for the heliport to be relocated to a site between West 29th and 32nd streets, with helicopter landing pads located on floating structures and the associated facilities located east of the bulkhead limited to a one-story terminal building, a fuel tank structure, and parking spaces.

The amendment also allowed the heliport to operate at its existing site until the new landing pads located west of the bulkhead were completed.

Construction activities related to ground improvement and tunneling for the Gateway Program were anticipated to require the closure of the existing heliport's fueling area, one or two helicopter landing pads, and the facility's driveway and parking area for a duration of approximately 1.5 years, as well as the possible rerouting of helicopter traffic to avoid conflicts between aircraft and tall construction equipment.