New Orleans airport to need new terminal, parking garage
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With more travelers expected to pass through over the next six years, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport will need to get bigger — a lot bigger.
Why it matters: To meet growth expectations, an airport spokeswoman says, officials need to start planning for it now.
The latest: Through the end of the year, airport officials will put the finishing touches on a master plan started in 2022 and which they've already offered glimpses of to City Council.
- The plan makes a pitch for a new terminal with 15 gates and more space for ticketing, baggage claim and security checkpoints.
- The increased airport traffic will also require a new parking garage and roadway updates.
Zoom in: Industry reviewers already consider the New Orleans airport, which transitioned to its much-lauded new terminal in 2019, among the best in North America, and officials have touted other new additions in recent weeks.
- There have been new domestic and international routes and an upgraded guest pass system to make it easier for plus-ones to get past security. Then, last week, they celebrated the addition of a new high-end makeup store.
- Other upgrades are in the works, too, including an expansion for the backstage area for inspecting checked baggage, runway upgrades, some additional parking and a connecter road for a shuttle between the old terminal and the new one.
The big picture: Earlier this year, tourism officials celebrated a major milestone when the city tallied 19 million visitors for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.
- But what's driving the master plan is an expected increase specifically among air travelers passing through New Orleans.
- Despite a recent dip, overall air travel trends have more than recovered from the pandemic drop and don't seem likely to stop climbing anytime soon.
- The new airport master plan, for example, is based on an expectation of 19.4 million passengers traveling through MSY annually by 2031, according to airport spokeswoman Erin Burns. That's compared to 13.2 million travelers the airport saw last year.
Between the lines: The FAA require airports craft new master plans at least every decade, Burns says.
What's next: Airport officials plan to seek public input on the master plan in a public meeting Aug. 12, Burns tells Axios.
- It'll be held from 4pm to 7pm the Susan Park Gymnasium in Kenner.