East Side Airline Terminal


The East Side Airline Terminal was one of three air terminals in New York City. Opening in 1954, and occupying the full block from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue between 37th Street and 38th Street, the East Side Airline Terminal served as a location where passengers could purchase tickets and check baggage before boarding buses that would transport them to JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport, or Newark Airport.
The East Side air terminal, with its immediate proximity to the Queens Midtown Tunnel, replaced bus service from the Airlines Terminal building at 42nd Street which was renamed the Airlines Building and became a ticketing only facility until it was demolished in 1978. The East Side terminal was itself threatened with closure in 1973.
By the 1970s, most airlines had acquired baggage handling sites at the airports. Eventually the Carey Bus Company would move its operations to more popular midtown locations, leaving the East Side Terminal operating primarily as rental space for various tenants. The building was abandoned by 1984. In 1985 the property was sold to developers for $90.6 million and became the eventual site of the 57-storey The Corinthian condominium. The terminal itself was retained and incorporated into the building as office space.