Building on five consecutive years of growth, Louis Armstrong New
Orleans International Airport has surpassed Pre-Katrina passenger numbers
marking a significant milestone for our Airport. 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.
The Airport has achieved another significant milestone. We now have more airlines and non-stop
destinations than ever before. A total
of 14 airlines now serve Armstrong International providing non-stop service to 46
nonstop destinations, including four international destinations. Since May 2010, the Airport has recruited 9
airlines and secured 19 new non-stop destinations.
Our most recent air service announcement is a significant
achievement for our entire region. On
February 5, 2015, Copa Airlines announced it will launch non-stop service to
Panama City, Panama from New Orleans starting June 24, 2015. Service to Copa’s "Hub of the Americas” in
Panama opens up the gateway to the Americas because it allows passengers to
connect to over 55 cities throughout Latin America. This new international service creates new
economic opportunity for our entire region’s businesses and tourism industry.
New Orleans will be Copa Airlines’ 11th U.S. destination and its
71st overall. The New Orleans – Panama flight is timed for convenient
connections to Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, Honduras; San José, Costa Rica;
nine destinations in Colombia, including Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla
and Cartagena; nine destinations in Brazil, including Sao Paulo, Rio de
Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia; Santiago, Chile; Lima,
Peru; and Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador, among others destinations in Latin
America. In-transit passengers making connections do not have to go through
immigration and customs in Panama and baggage is checked to the final
destination. In other words, connecting
through Panama is like connecting through any U.S. city.
Copa is a member of the Star Alliance and operates one of the
youngest and most modern fleets in the industry. Service will be offered four times a week on
a Boeing 737-700 Next-Generation aircraft, with seating for 12 passengers in
Business Class and 112 in the main cabin. Flights will depart New Orleans on
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The return flight will depart
Panama on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flight time is approximately three and a half
hours. On-board service includes complimentary meals and beverages, including
wines and spirits; a 12-channel audio-visual entertainment system in English,
Spanish and Portuguese, with new movies monthly and complimentary headsets.
Their flight attendants are bilingual and they have an average on-time
performance of 90%. For more information on Copa Airlines and to book your next
trip to Latin America, you may visit their website at www.copaair.com.
While 2014 was a record breaking year for Armstrong International,
calendar year 2015 is already shaping up to be another banner year. Great things are happening at Armstrong
International. For the latest
information about the Airport, please visit our website at www.flymsy.com.
Iftikhar Ahmad,
Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport may
be reached at airport@flymsy.com. Check your local listings for the air time
of the Armstrong International Airport 30 minute television program, "Airport
Alive” or view it on the airport website, www.flymsy.com, by
clicking on the "Airport Alive” link on the "News and Stats” page. You can now
follow the airport on facebook.com/MSYAirport and Twitter @NO_Airport. To
find out how to be a volunteer at the airport, click on "Ambassador” on the
airport’s website homepage.