Airport construction began in 1929 by orders of Huey Long, on a man-made peninsula dredged by the Orleans Levee Board, jutting into Lake Pontchartrain on the Eastern New Orleans side of the Industrial Canal.
It was designed by New Orleans architect Leon C. Weiss and his architectural firm Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth, which also designed the Louisiana State Capitol.
It was originally named Shushan Airport after Levee Board president and Long ally  Abraham Shushan.
The airport was inaugurated on 10 February 1934.
Visitors noticed that every doorknob, window sill, countertop, and plumbing fixture either had the name or the initials of Abe Shushan.
 After Shushan's name was tarnished from involvement in the Louisiana Scandals of the late 1930s, the airport was renamed New Orleans Airport in 1939.

The assigned airport code "NEW" is retained despite its current "Lakefront Airport" name.

During World War II, the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces and housed the Tropical Weather School in 1945.

At the start of the 1960s, thick concrete panels were added to the main terminal building to turn it into a Cold War era bomb shelter.

Ammunition manufacturer Joyce Hornady was killed in a Piper Aztec on January 15, 1981.
The aircraft, with Hornady at the controls flying in heavy fog, crashed into Lake Pontchartrain while on final approach to Lakefront Airport.

Lakefront Airport was badly damaged by storm surge during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and again during Hurricane Isaac in 2012.
While the airport was quickly brought back to service, many facilities remained in temporary trailers for years after Katrina.

On January 23, 2010, a United States Navy Beechcraft T-34 Mentor training aircraft crashed into Lake Ponchartrain just over one mile from the approach end of the airport.
The aircraft was intending to land at Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base New Orleans but diverted to Lakefront Airport due to weather.
The student pilot on board survived, however, the instructor drowned.
According to official reports, the aircrew lost track of their altitude which resulted in their ditching in the lake.

Post-Katrina reconstruction at the airport has included restoration of the main terminal building's original Art Deco facade.
The Art Deco interior and restoration of the Shushan terminal is being filmed for a television documentary titled, Return Flight.
Filming began in 2012 and will conclude in 2013 when the restoration draws to a close.
Airport construction began in 1929 by orders of Huey Long, on a man-made peninsula dredged by the Orleans Levee Board, jutting into Lake Pontchartrain on the Eastern New Orleans side of the Industrial Canal. It was designed by New Orleans architect Leon C. Weiss and his architectural firm Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth, which also designed the Louisiana State Capitol. It was originally named Shushan Airport after Levee Board president and Long ally  Abraham Shushan. The airport was inaugurated on 10 February 1934. Visitors noticed that every doorknob, window sill, countertop, and plumbing fixture either had the name or the initials of Abe Shushan.  After Shushan's name was tarnished from involvement in the Louisiana Scandals of the late 1930s, the airport was renamed New Orleans Airport in 1939.
The assigned airport code "NEW" is retained despite its current "Lakefront Airport" name.
During World War II, the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces and housed the Tropical Weather School in 1945.
At the start of the 1960s, thick concrete panels were added to the main terminal building to turn it into a Cold War era bomb shelter.
Ammunition manufacturer Joyce Hornady was killed in a Piper Aztec on January 15, 1981. The aircraft, with Hornady at the controls flying in heavy fog, crashed into Lake Pontchartrain while on final approach to Lakefront Airport.
Lakefront Airport was badly damaged by storm surge during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and again during Hurricane Isaac in 2012. While the airport was quickly brought back to service, many facilities remained in temporary trailers for years after Katrina.
On January 23, 2010, a United States Navy Beechcraft T-34 Mentor training aircraft crashed into Lake Ponchartrain just over one mile from the approach end of the airport. The aircraft was intending to land at Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base New Orleans but diverted to Lakefront Airport due to weather. The student pilot on board survived, however, the instructor drowned. According to official reports, the aircrew lost track of their altitude which resulted in their ditching in the lake.
Post-Katrina reconstruction at the airport has included restoration of the main terminal building's original Art Deco facade. The Art Deco interior and restoration of the Shushan terminal is being filmed for a television documentary titled, Return Flight. Filming began in 2012 and will conclude in 2013 when the restoration draws to a close.
Lakefront Airport