The Jefferson Chamber hosted its Annual Meeting, presented by Ochsner Health System, on February 2 at the Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport Hotel. The sold-out event featured Linda Rutherford, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of Southwest Airlines, who discussed Southwest’s corporate culture and communication strategy, along with their plans for the new airport terminal at the Louis Armstrong International Airport.
Speaking to a room of Chamber members, business owners and community leaders, Rutherford explained Southwest’s processes, policies and tools for serving the airline’s growing and diverse workforce.
Kristina Bennett-Holmes, Deputy Director of Aviation for the Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, spoke about the plans and progress on the airport expansion and terminal opening early 2019.
The $90 million flyover ramp from I-10 at Loyola Drive is considered a crucial component of the new terminal, which will increase the airport’s capacity and therefore traffic is going to and coming from New Orleans’ international airport. It would replace the existing flyover at Williams Boulevard, which brings traffic to a service road that leads to the airport’s south-facing entrances on Airline Highway. The new terminal is being built on the north side of the airport property.
Two temporary roads are currently under construction, one by Barriere street and the other on the South of I-10, where the four-lane Loyola Drive will be widened to six lanes, and the Loyola intersection at Veterans Memorial Boulevard will be redesigned. The temporary roads are set for completion just before the new airport’s opening. •
By The Numbers: The New MSY
The new airport is slated to open in February 2019, and is estimated to include:
$534 million in state and local tax revenue
972,000-square-foot terminal
35 total airline gates
$6.4 billion in local spending
$2.4 billion in local earnings
64,000+ jobs
