The original Ithaca Municipal Airport was west of downtown Ithaca, near the inlet of [[Cayuga Lake]]. Established prior to 1916, Ithaca Municipal Airport is believed to be the second airport to be established in New York state.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-08-02 |title=Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport – There at the beginning |language=en-US |work=Business View |url=https://businessviewmagazine.com/ithaca-tompkins-regional-airport/ |access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref> The airport initially had two sod runways, but by 1937 it had a {{convert|2700|ft|m|adj=on}} north/south asphalt runway and a {{convert|2250|ft|m|adj=on}} turf landing strip. The turf runway was no longer in official guidebooks by 1940.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Freeman |first=Paul |title=Central New York State |url=http://www.airfields-freeman.com/ny/Airfields_NY_Centr.htm#ithaca |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields}}</ref> Due to its lakeshore location, the airport also provided a dock and anchorage for [[seaplane]]s.<ref>{{cite book|title=Directory of Airports and Seaplane Bases. September 1, 1939|date=1939|publisher=U.S. Civil Aviation Authority|location=Washington, D.C.|page=39|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5YiR5i93K_8C&pg=PA39|access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref> Bound by the [[Lehigh Valley Railroad]] freight yards on the south side, the Cayuga Lake marshes on the north side and [[fog]] in the lake valley, the growth potential for the airport was limited. The former airport site is now Cass Park, including a [[hangar]] which was renovated in 1975 to house the [[Hangar Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hangartheatre.org/|title=Welcome|website=Hangar - Ithaca, NY}}</ref>

 

 

The original municipal airport was the base for [[Aviation]] pioneer Cecil Robinson's [[aerial photography]] missions. In 1945, shortly after the end of [[World War II]], he created Robinson Airlines at the municipal airport before transferring operations to the new East Hill Airport in 1948.<ref name="cancel" /> Scheduled DC-3 flights to East Hill began in 1948; the airline changed its name to [[Mohawk Airlines]] in 1952 and merged with [[Allegheny Airlines]] in 1972. Later, the airport was served by [[Empire Airlines]] and Air North; the latter became [[Brockway Air]], which merged into [[Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989)|Piedmont Airlines]]. Allegheny, Piedmont and Empire all eventually merged into [[US Airways]], which later merged into [[American Airlines]]. Other carriers included Commuter Airlines, [[Mall Airways]], [[Command Airways]] (later operating under the name [[American Eagle Airlines|American Eagle]]), [[Ransome Airlines]] (also operating under the name [[TW Express]], [[United Express]]) and [[Continental Express]].