NEW ORLEANS – The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has surpassed 2004 Pre-Katrina passenger numbers. Based on year-end 2014 airport passenger data, the Airport served a total of 9,785,394 passengers, an increase of 6.3% as compared to last year. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, 9,733,178 passengers flew through the Airport in 2004. Building on five consecutive years of growth, the 2014 passenger numbers mark a significant milestone for the Airport.
The Airport currently has 13 airlines providing service to 45 non-stop destinations, including three international destinations. These numbers mark another significant milestone in Airport history with the highest number of non-stop destinations ever served. Without the consolidation in the airline industry over the past few years, the Airport would have a total of 17 airlines (i.e., AirTran/Southwest, Continental/United, Northwest/Delta, Midwest/Frontier).
Since May 2010, the Airport has recruited 9 airlines and secured 19 non-stop destinations. Additions to the non-stop lineup in 2014 included: San Diego, CA, by Southwest Airlines; Montego Bay, Jamaica, by VacationExpress; Seattle, WA, by Alaska Airlines; Newport News, VA, by PEOPLExpress; and the international destination of Cancun, Mexico by Delta Air Lines.
New non-stop service recently announced and available for immediate booking include: San Antonio, TX, by Southwest; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic by VacationExpress; Oakland, CA, by Southwest; and Cincinnati, OH, Orlando-Sanford, FL, Columbus, OH and Indianapolis, IN, all by the ultra-low cost carrier, Allegiant Air. Also, this week Branson AirExpress Operated by Orange Air introduced non-stops to Cancun, Mexico and Branson, MO, including a direct flight to Cincinnati, OH.
“Our City is on a roll and the Airport is booming with more direct flights than ever before and more passengers than before Katrina,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said.
“Our team has worked very hard this year to manage costs and implement aggressive incentives to further increase air service for our community,” Cheryl Teamer, New Orleans Aviation Board Chairwoman, said. “I am thrilled to see these efforts come to fruition.”
“Our City is breaking records in many different facets,” New Orleans Councilman Jared Brossett, Chair of the Transportation and Aviation Committee, said. “The Airport continues to be a driving force for this region, and we look forward to breaking more records in 2015.”
“New Orleans Airport handles 80.3% of Louisiana’s over all passengers,” Director of Aviation Iftikhar Ahmad said. “With five years of continued growth, we have broken numerous records including our total number of non-stops and U.S. enplanement ranking but surpassing Pre-Katrina passenger numbers was the most important to our team.”
