In the mid 1930's, it became apparent to the city of New Orleans that the municipal airport located on the lakefront was no longer large enough to service the city's growing air transportation needs. Expansion of the lakefront facilities was considered too costly. An Aviation Division of the Department of Public Property of the City of New Orleans was then formed to coordinate with the Civil Aviation Authority (now the FAA) to establish a New Orleans Airport.
The Aviation Division at that time was headed by Douglas O. Langstaff - an aviation enthusiast. Langstaff recognized the need to obtain a surplus of land to formulate what he thought would be needed for future expansion plans of any new airport. This, along with the regulations of the CAA stipulating that the distance of an airport from a city center should be a minimum of six miles, resulted in the selection of Kenner as the site for a new airport. The proposed new airport was named for John Moisant, an early aviation pioneer, in 1940. The Kenner site was approved by the City and 648 acres was purchased.
However, before any construction began, the United States became involved in World War II in December, 1941. The land for Moisant Field was taken over by the U.S. Government for use as an air base. Facilities were constructed on this land by the Federal Government and were used by the Army until the end of the war in August 1945. In 1946, the Federal Government returned the land plus 295 adjacent acres to the City of New Orleans.
In May, 1946, a commercial air service began at Moisant Field. By January, 1947, theairport was considered to be one of the largest commercial airports in the nation encompassing 1360 acres of land and included three 5000 foot runways and one 7000 foot runway. In addition, it was the first airport to install an Instrument Landing System. In 1959, a new terminal and two new concourses were dedicated. The official name of the airport was changed in 1960 from Moisant Field to New Orleans International Airport.
The first major expansion occurred in 1974 with the addition of two new concourses at the east end of the main terminal. This brought the total number of gates to 42. In addition, the gates of the original west concourse were modified to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft, and an upper level parking lot was constructed. In 1979, the west concourse was extensively renovated.
In August 2001, the Airport's name was changed to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in honor of the famous native born musician's 100th birthday.The Airport is governed by the New Orleans Aviation Board, which was created in 1943 to oversee the administration, operation, and maintenance of the new airport. The Board represents the City in all aviation matters in consultation with state, national, and international government agencies. It is an attached board under the executive branch of the New Orleans City Government.
The Board was originally composed of five members. This was increased to nine members in 1972. All members of the Board are appointed by the Mayor of New Orleans with the approval of the City Council. The terms are for five years and they serve without compensation. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman are elected annually by the other Board members.
The Director of Aviation is appointed by the Aviation Board. He is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Airport.Would you like to see some old photos of the airport and Louis Armstrong? Click here to go to the New Orleans Public Library Site featuring pictures of the airport and the city.