More than five months before the curtain rose on the grandest domestic event in private aviation—Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans—preparations were already underway at the Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport for the busiest two-week stretch in its history.
“From my first day on the job in September 2024, the Super Bowl immediately became my number one priority,” said Chanse Watson, the newly hired Executive Regional Airport Director. “Having witnessed the ramp-up in traffic during Super Bowl 47 in February 2013 while working operations at New Orleans International Airport, I knew that all Louisiana airports—including ours—were about to be on the world stage.
“And for many, it was their first time at our airport,” Watson continued. “The best feedback we received was, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this was here, but I’m sure glad we found you because it’s so convenient.’”
Aviation agencies estimate that approximately 1,200 private planes arrived in New Orleans during Super Bowl week this past February—surpassing air traffic from the previous season’s “Big Game” in Las Vegas by nearly 33 percent. While KAPS usually sees upticks around Mardi Gras and major sporting events like the Sugar Bowl and NCAA men’s basketball Final Four, demand for the Super Bowl eclipsed all prior occasions.
To accommodate the surge in private air travelers, the FAA and NFL designated the Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport as one of five approved airfields in their official reservation system. This system granted aircraft pre-assigned one-hour “slots” for landing and departure, ensuring safe and efficient airflow during peak periods. KAPS was allocated 240 slots—120 arrivals and 120 departures—spanning from the Thursday before Super Bowl Sunday through Monday evening after the game.
“Airspace management was critical from an air traffic control perspective, which is why the slot reservation system was a must,” Watson said. “But as the airport operator, we also wanted to ensure that the same level of efficiency was happening on the ground.”
Watson highlighted two recent infrastructure improvements that proved strategically crucial during Super Bowl week.
First, a taxiway extension to the north side of the airport allowed for additional aircraft parking while maintaining efficient entry and exit from the runway—vital to minimizing pilot back-taxiing. On game day, more than 20 private aircraft parked on the taxiway extension.
Second, a new runway and taxiway signage system—a series of markings providing location indicators for pilots, FAA personnel, and airport staff during taxiing—enabled Watson’s team to publish real-time briefing materials. These alerts informed pilots of temporarily closed sections due to increased traffic.
Understanding that passengers and crew would have diverse needs upon landing in Reserve, airport officials coordinated with local suppliers to cover any scenario: last-minute catering, ground servicing, and teleconferences with River Parish rental car agencies, including six Enterprise cars on standby Sunday morning of the Super Bowl.
“Quality customer service was our main objective from the end of the NFC and AFC conference championship games through the final whistle of the Super Bowl,” Watson said. “Knowing that plans and demands change rapidly during big events, we focused on being as flexible and accommodating as possible.
“We understood the game was the main event, but everyone’s ‘Super Bowl Experience’ started the moment they touched down. It was important to begin that experience positively and welcome them to Louisiana.”
