Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Explained

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Image2-Width:250
Iata:MSY
Icao:KMSY
Faa:MSY
Wmo:72231
Type:Public
Owner-Oper:New Orleans Aviation Board
City-Served:New Orleans metropolitan area
Location:Kenner, Louisiana, U.S.
Elevation-F:4
Elevation-M:1
Coordinates:29.9933°N -90.2581°W
Image Mapsize:175
Image Map Caption:FAA airport diagram
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:10
Mapframe-Wikidata:yes
R1-Number:11/29
R1-Length-F:10,104
R1-Length-M:3,080
R1-Surface:Asphalt/concrete
R2-Number:02/20
R2-Length-F:7,001
R2-Length-M:2,134
R2-Surface:Concrete
Stat-Year:2023
Stat1-Header:Aircraft operations
Stat1-Data:110,490
Stat2-Header:Based aircraft (2022)
Stat2-Data:24
Stat3-Header:Total passengers
Stat3-Data:12,738,847
Footnotes:Source: MSY[1] and FAA[2]

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is an international airport under Class B airspace in Kenner city, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the city of New Orleans and is west of downtown New Orleans.[3] A small portion of Runway 11/29 is in unincorporated St. Charles Parish. Armstrong International is the primary commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana.

MSY covers 1,500 acres (607 ha) of land.[4] At an average of 4.5feet above sea level, MSY is the third lowest-lying international airport in the world, only behind Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands, which is below sea level, and Atyrau International Airport in Kazakhstan, which lies 72 feet (22 m) below sea level.

History

Beginnings

Plans for a new airport began in 1940, as evidence mounted that the older Shushan Airport (New Orleans Lakefront Airport) was too small.

The airport was originally named Moisant Field after daredevil aviator John Moisant, who died in 1910 in an airplane crash on agricultural land where the airport is now located. Its IATA code MSY was derived from Moisant Stock Yards, as Lakefront Airport retained the code NEW.[5] In World War II the land became a government air base. It returned to civil control after the war and commercial service began at Moisant Field in May 1946. In September 1947, the airport was shut down as it was submerged under two feet of water in the wake of the 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane's impact.

When commercial service began at Moisant Field in 1946, the terminal was a large, makeshift hangar-like building—a sharp contrast to airports in then-peer cities. A new terminal complex debuted in 1959 towards the end of Mayor DeLesseps "Chep" Morrison's administration.[6] The core of this structure formed much of the facility used until November 2019. It is situated on the south side of the airfield. The terminal contained two sections, East and West, connected by a central ticketing alley. Four concourses, A, B, C and D, were attached to the terminal, and had a total of 47 gates. The vaulted arrivals lounge at the head of Concourse C and the adjacent, western half of the ticketing alley are the remaining portions of the airport's 1959 terminal complex.

Retired United States Air Force Major General Junius Wallace Jones served as airport director in the 1950s. During his term, the airport received many improvements. By the time the previous airport terminal building opened in 1959, the name Moisant International Airport was being used for the New Orleans facility. In 1961, the name was changed to New Orleans International Airport.[7] In the early 1970s, the airport was expanded. A lengthened main terminal ticketing area, an airport access road linking the terminal to I-10, and Concourses A and B were constructed.

In July 1978, National Airlines began service to Frankfurt via Amsterdam aboard McDonnell Douglas DC-10s. This was New Orleans' first transatlantic flight.[8] [9] [10] Less than a month later, National added a stop in Tampa due to low demand.[11] In May 1981, British Airways inaugurated a flight from London's Gatwick Airport to Mexico City that stopped in New Orleans. It flew a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar on the route.[12] [13] [14] The airline discontinued the service in October 1982 because of financial problems.[15]

Northeastern International Airways operated a small hub at MSY in the spring of 1984.[16] [17] Another airline that attempted to operate a hub at MSY was short-lived Pride Air which was based in New Orleans and was operating nonstop or direct Boeing 727 service from the airport to sixteen destinations including cities in California, Florida, and the western U.S. in the summer of 1985.[18]

In July 2001, to honor the 100th anniversary of Louis Armstrong's birth (August 4, 1901), the airport's name became Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.[19]

Post-Hurricane Katrina capacity restoration

MSY reopened to commercial flights on September 13, 2005, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina the previous month, with four flights operated by Delta Air Lines to Atlanta and a Northwest Airlines flight to Memphis. Slowly, service from other carriers began to resume. All international service into MSY was suspended while the FIS facility was closed post-Katrina. The facility reopened to chartered flights arriving from London, Manchester, Bournemouth, and Nottingham, UK—all carrying tourists in for Mardi Gras and set to depart aboard a cruise liner.

MSY served 9,785,394 passengers in 2014, exceeding for the first time in the post-Katrina era the total passenger count of 9,733,179 achieved in 2004, the last full calendar year prior to Katrina's landfall in August 2005. A new record passenger count was set by the airport in 2015. 10,673,301 passengers were served, eclipsing the earlier record of 9.9 million passengers, set in 2000. In 2019 the airport served 13.1 million passengers.

In December 2015, the New Orleans Aviation Board, along with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and City Council, approved a plan to build a new $598 million terminal building on the north side of the airport property with two concourses and 30 gates.[20] Designed by world-renowned Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli, construction on the new main terminal began in January 2016. During the construction, the scope of the project was expanded so the terminal would feature 35 gates.[21] In March 2017, British Airways commenced nonstop service to London's Heathrow Airport on a Boeing 787.[22] The new terminal opened in November 2019 at a cost of $1.3 billion.[23] [24]

Facilities

Terminal

MSY has a single terminal with three concourses labeled A, B, and C. There are a total of 35 gates.[25] Departures and Ticketing are on Level 3, TSA Security Screening is on Level 2, and Arrivals and Baggage Claim are on Level 1.[26] International flights are processed in Concourse A, which contains the airport's customs facilities.

Ground transportation

The terminal is served by Interstate 10.[27] Bus service between the airport and downtown New Orleans is provided by New Orleans Regional Transit Authority Airport Express Route 202 and Jefferson Transit bus E-2.[28] Airport Shuttle has services to most hotels and hostels in the Central Business District of New Orleans.[29] The rental car facility is on the south side of the airfield next to the former terminal.[30]

Airlines and destinations

Cargo

Statistics

Annual traffic

Annual Passenger Traffic at MSY 2017-Present[31] [32]
YearPassengers% Change
201712,009,512
201813,122,7629.3%
201913,644,6664.0%
20205,278,75261.3%
20218,074,15852.8%
202211,895,98547.3%
202312,738,8477.1%

Top domestic destinations

Busiest domestic routes from MSY
(January 2023 – December 2023)! Rank! City! Passengers! Carriers
1 Atlanta, Georgia681,000Delta, Southwest, Spirit
2 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas385,000American, Spirit
3 Houston–Intercontinental, Texas374,000Spirit, United
4 Orlando, Florida292,000Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
5 Denver, Colorado284,000Frontier, Southwest, United
6 Charlotte, North Carolina254,000American
7 Dallas–Love, Texas248,000Southwest
8 Los Angeles, California238,000Breeze, Delta, Southwest, Spirit
9 Houston–Hobby, Texas220,000Southwest
10Fort Lauderdale, Florida216,000JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit

Airline market share

Largest airlines at MSY
(January 2023 – December 2023)
RankAirlinePassengersShare
1Southwest Airlines4,296,00034.77%
2Delta Air Lines2,061,00016.68%
3American Airlines1,703,00013.78%
4United Airlines1,564,00012.65%
5Spirit Airlines1,176,0009.52%
Other1,557,00012.60%

Accidents and incidents

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Airport Data & Statistics. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. May 13, 2020. January 2020.
  2. http://www.gcr1.com/5010WEB/REPORTS/AFD03052015MSY.pdf
  3. , effective August 8, 2024.
  4. Web site: MSY airport data at skyvector.com. skyvector.com. August 28, 2022.
  5. http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2005-03-29/blake.html Welcome to the Best of New Orleans! Blake Pontchartrain March 29, 2005
  6. Web site: Dedication Plaque of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport – 2012. Airchive. 2CMedia. January 8, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130323184025/http://airchive.com/html/airplanes-and-airports/new-orleans-louis-armstrong-international-airport-photos-history-new-orleans-la-usa-/dedication-plaque-of-louis-armstrong-new-orleans-international-airport-2012-/25123. March 23, 2013. live.
  7. News: 1946: Moisant Field opens on outskirts of New Orleans. 22 February 2018. The Times-Picayune. 19 November 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20180223051232/http://www.nola.com/175years/index.ssf/2011/11/1946_moisant_field_opens_on_ou.html. February 23, 2018. live.
  8. Book: Louisiana Aviation: An Extraordinary History in Photographs . Louisiana State University Press . Caire, Vincent P. . 2012 . 71. 9780807142110 .
  9. News: July 2, National Airlines introduces the only nonstop service to Europe from New Orleans . The Daily Advertiser . June 6, 1978 . June 11, 2021 . Lafayette, LA . 15.
  10. Verhoeff, Bert (photographer) . 1978-07-03 . First line flight National Airlines from New Orleans at Schiphol . Photograph . 2023-07-03 . Amsterdam Airport Schiphol . Algemeen Nederlandsch Fotobureau.
  11. News: Flights from N.O. to Holland rerouted; not enough business . The Town Talk . July 25, 1978 . Associated Press . June 11, 2021 . Alexandria, LA . 9.
  12. News: British Airways to connect London, New Orleans with nonstop flights . The Times-Picayune . October 20, 2016 . June 11, 2021.
  13. Web site: June 11, 2021 . British Airways resumes New Orleans service from March 2017 . Routesonline . October 20, 2016 . Liu, Jim . https://web.archive.org/web/20161021120823/https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/269458/british-airways-resumes-new-orleans-service-from-march-2017/ . 2016-10-21.
  14. Web site: Nonstop from New Orleans to London! Anything for you . The Shreveport Journal . 1981-04-13 . 2023-07-03.
  15. News: British Air Cuts Routes . The New York Times . 1982-09-28 . Reuters . .
  16. http://www.departedflights.com, Oct. 4, 1991 Official Airline Guide (OAG), New Orleans flight schedules
  17. http://www.departedflights.com, May 1, 1984 Northeastern International Airlines system timetable
  18. http://www.departedflights.com, Aug. 1, 1985 Pride Air system timetable
  19. Web site: Dedication Plaque of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport – 2012. Airchive. 2CMedia. October 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20130323184025/http://airchive.com/html/airplanes-and-airports/new-orleans-louis-armstrong-international-airport-photos-history-new-orleans-la-usa-/dedication-plaque-of-louis-armstrong-new-orleans-international-airport-2012-/25123. March 23, 2013. live.
  20. News: $598 million airport terminal contract gets New Orleans Aviation Board approval. NOLA.com. 2017-05-20. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20170524202410/http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2015/12/louis_armstrong_airport_north.html. May 24, 2017. live.
  21. Web site: New Orleans Aviation Board Votes To Expand, Finance Airport's North Terminal Project - Biz New Orleans - March 2017. www.bizneworleans.com. March 17, 2017. en. 2017-05-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20171008131329/http://www.bizneworleans.com/March-2017/New-Orleans-Aviation-Board-Votes-To-Expand-Finance-Airports-North-Terminal-Project/index.php. October 8, 2017. live.
  22. Web site: British Airways' London-New Orleans service already expanding after inaugural flight arrives . The New Orleans Advocate . March 27, 2017 . June 11, 2021 . Thompson, Richard.
  23. Web site: Cleared for Take-Off: New Orleans International Airport's New Terminal Now Officially Open . November 6, 2018 . 12 March 2021.
  24. News: Baskas . Harriet . November 6, 2019 . New Orleans' new $1.3 billion airport terminal captures some of NOLA's spirit . . January 21, 2023.
  25. Web site: MSY Terminal Map . 12 March 2021.
  26. Web site: The Facility - the New MSY - Get Updates. May 19, 2022 .
  27. Web site: New terminal at New Orleans Airport to open on Nov. 6. 2019-10-21. WGNO. en. 2019-11-27.
  28. Web site: Jefferson Transport Bus Routes. Jefferson Parish Transport. April 26, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130326232639/http://www.jeffersontransit.org/e2airport.php. March 26, 2013. live.
  29. Web site: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport – Ground Transportation. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. August 24, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110905080100/http://www.flymsy.com/PageDisplay.asp?p1=6016. September 5, 2011. dead.
  30. Web site: What You Need To Know About The New MSY. Wendland. Tegan. www.wwno.org. October 29, 2019. en. 2019-11-27.
  31. Web site: MSY Archived Airport Data and Statistics 2017-2022. flymsy.com. June 11, 2024.
  32. Web site: MSY 2023 Passenger Data. flymsy.com. June 11, 2024.
  33. "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-7B N4891C Gulf of Mexico ." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on December 23, 2009.
  34. Web site: N142D Accident Description . Aviation Safety Network . February 9, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110723022736/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690320-2 . July 23, 2011 . live .
  35. Web site: Ranter. Harro. Incident Airbus A320-232 N409UA, 04 Apr 2011. 2021-11-17. aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network.