Mayor Landrieu Touts Major Successes at Louis Armstrong New
Orleans
International Airport, Bolstering Economic
Growth in Region
Recent
report cites new airport construction as key factor in growth of economy
NEW
ORLEANS – According to recently-released data by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
Airport (MSY) grew enplanements by 78 percent between 2006 and 2016, making MSY
the second fastest growing airport in America over a ten-year period. In 2016, New Orleans had over 5.5 million
total enplanements, 15 percent higher than pre-Katrina levels, which indicates both
a return of flights lost post-Katrina and an influx of new flights to the
region.
“I’m thrilled that the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
Airport continues to serve as a crucial economic driver for the New Orleans metropolitan
region. The data released by the FAA is proof that our hard work has paid off,”
said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “Since 2010,
we’ve added three new international non-stop services, connecting our city with
the rest of the world like never before. As we look ahead to our 300th
anniversary, New Orleans is poised for big things across many sectors, making
it a great time to welcome even more travelers to our world-class city.”
Last year, construction began on the new North Terminal at MSY,
a $993 million project expected to create thousands of new construction jobs
and significant opportunities for local businesses and disadvantaged business
enterprises (DBEs) in the region. Earlier this year, the New Orleans
Aviation Board (NOAB) formally voted to expand the Louis Armstrong New Orleans
International Airport North Terminal Project, bringing the total number of
gates from 30 to 35. The five-gate expansion came after the airport exceeded
all projected passenger enplanement targets and added new international flights
to Europe and Latin America.
Earlier this month, Condor Airlines announced its 2018
flight schedule with twice-weekly flights operating on Thursdays and Sundays
from May 17, 2018, through September 30, 2018, from MSY to Frankfurt
International Airport (FRA).
In March 2017, British Airways began non-stop, year-round
flights between New Orleans and London. The international flight departs four
times per week from MSY to London Heathrow (LHR) and
will increase to five weekly flights starting October 30, 2017. From London Heathrow, British
Airways’ passengers can connect seamlessly to over 130 destinations in Europe
and beyond.
In 2015, Copa Airlines began non-stop flights to Panama, departing four times weekly, increasing New Orleans' connectivity to Latin America.
New Orleans International Airport now has 56 non-stop
flights, including 6 international, for a total of 150 daily flights.
Kevin Dolliole, Director of Aviation, New Orleans Aviation Board, said “2016 was a year of record
growth for the Airport, surpassing 11.1 million passengers for the first time in
history. The current trend has MSY on track to surpass that record in 2017. The
growth in our domestic and international air service has poised New Orleans
well for growth as we move to the future with the construction of our new North
Terminal.”
Cheryl Teamer, New Orleans Aviation Board Chairwoman, said “The Airport continues to see success in air service growth
bringing more and more new visitors to New Orleans each year. We have added
nine new destinations in 2017 alone which has contributed to the local economy
in a big way. The New Orleans Aviation Board is excited to bring you a new
terminal in which has already contributed new jobs to the City and will
continue to do so for years to come.”
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