Jennifer Gibson Schecter was once a tourist in New Orleans herself and is now proud to call NOLA home. She also writes the Wednesday Tourism Blog on BizNewOrleans.com.
While the Covid-19 pandemic shut down international travel for most of 2020, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) was working diligently to remain an industry leader. Now that travel restrictions are lifting and vaccination rates are growing, MSY is poised to serve travelers and help New Orleans regain its footing as a tourism destination.
Early last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidance that those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could resume domestic travel without getting tested for the virus before or after travel and removing the requirement to self-quarantine after travel. For international travel, fully vaccinated people do not need to get tested for COVID-19 before leaving the U.S. unless required by their destination, and they do not need to self-quarantine after arriving back in the U.S.
As of early April, the CDC reported more than 108 million people in the U.S., or 32.6% of the total population, had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 63 million people were fully vaccinated. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, 1.2 million residents had received at least one dose and more than 834,000 residents were fully vaccinated. Louisiana State Region 1, which encompasses Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, reported 22% of the region’s population as being fully vaccinated.
The updated travel guidelines and increasing vaccination rates are already resulting in a boost in air travel. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reporting a rise in traveler throughput, with early April numbers above 1.5 million travelers per day, compared to April 2020 COVID-19 quarantine numbers consistently below 120,000 per day. As recently as February 2021, daily throughput was consistently below 1 million.
The growth in air travel is being felt locally as well. At the regular March meeting of the New Orleans Aviation Board, Director of Aviation Kevin Dolliole reported a steady monthly increase in passengers at MSY and said he expected business to continue to improve gradually. The resulting growth is helping MSY bring new services for passengers.
American Airlines announced in March that it will begin daily nonstop flights from New Orleans to Austin, Texas, beginning May 6. Last month, MSY’s largest passenger carrier, Southwest, restarted its nonstop twice-weekly flights to Cancun. Two new regional airlines also announced new services last month, bringing the airport’s numbers up to 18 airlines serving 57 nonstop destinations.
Boutique Air will connect New Orleans with Greenville, Mississippi, with nonstop flights on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The Mississippi Delta city is the first nonstop destination in Mississippi from MSY and fares start at $79 one-way. Silver Airways has added nonstop twice weekly flights between New Orleans and Jacksonville, Florida. .
The timing of the early 2020 COVID-19 travel restrictions came on the heels of MSY opening its new $1.3 billion terminal in November 2019. Just as the fanfare around the new terminal died down, the pandemic kicked in and critical revenue projects became impossible to hit. The new terminal delivered at least one return on investment beyond money, and just over a year after opening it was ranked third by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards in the 2021 Best Large Airport contest.
“It is an outstanding achievement to have our airport named as one of the top three in the country,” said Judge Michael Bagneris, chair of the New Orleans Aviation Board in a release. “This is proof positive that the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Aviation Board’s investment in a new terminal facility was well worth it.”
“Not only have we been making significant investments in our airport’s infrastructure, but we have also been laser focused on ensuring that our passengers receive the best possible customer service experience,” said Dolliole in a release.
MSY also received an award for Best Hygiene Measures by Region (North America) from the Airports Council International (ACI) World’s 2020 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program. It was one of only six airports in the U.S. and Canada to receive the honor.
“MSY plays a major role as a gateway and aviation hub for the state and the Gulf South region for all of our national and international visitors,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “Our airport continues to be recognized for its leadership, cleanliness, customer satisfaction and overall performance, despite the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
To learn more about flying safely from MSY, visit flymsy.com/travelready.