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.