New York Airways was a helicopter airline in the New York City area. Founded in 1949 as a mail and cargo carrier, on July 9, 1953 it may have been the first scheduled helicopter airline to carry passengers in the United States. Its headquarters were at LaGuardia Airport. Although primarily a helicopter airline operator with scheduled passenger operations, New York Airways also flew fixed wing aircraft, being the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter which is a 19-passenger twin turboprop that has STOL capabilities.