Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has experienced rapid growth over the past six years. From 2009 to 2015, air service expanded into new markets including Central and South America and the Caribbean. Over the same period, the Airport’s total enplanements rose 37 percent. With this substantial expansion and growth, the Airport surpassed a significant milestone for the first time ever in 2015, when more than 10.6 million total passengers traveled through the Airport. There has been much progress over a short period of time, and we continue to experience positive growth. 

2016 has already been a year for the record books. In May, a record one million total passengers traveled through Armstrong International. The number of non-stop destinations also climbed to a record-breaking 55 destinations. New domestic destinations added this year include Jacksonville, Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida, with Allegiant Air.  

Allegiant Air is an ultra-low cost carrier that offers travel packages from small cities to world-class travel destinations throughout the United States. Currently, Allegiant offers service from New Orleans to eight destinations including Cincinnati, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Orlando/Sanford, Florida; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Travelers can create custom travel packages with air fare, hotel accommodations, rental car reservations, and more by visiting Allegiant’s website, www.AllegiantAir.com.

GLO also expanded service this year with non-stop flights to Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and Huntsville, Alabama, both new destinations from New Orleans. Service to Huntsville International Airport will begin on September 30, 2016, with departures from New Orleans on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. One-way fares to Huntsville start at $149 and include transport of up to three bags and one personal item. GLO is a New Orleans-owned and based public charter company operated by Corporate Flight Management, Inc. GLO provides service to five destinations from New Orleans including Shreveport, Louisiana, Memphis, Tennessee, and Little Rock, Arkansas. Tickets to any of GLO’s destinations are only available at www.FlyGLO.com.

The number of international non-stop destinations rose to five routes with Condor’s announcement of non-stop service to Frankfurt, Germany. This flight brings back non-stop service from New Orleans to Europe for the first time since the early 1980s. Flights with Condor are scheduled to begin on May 3, 2017, with two weekly flights operating on Wednesdays and Sundays. From Frankfurt, travelers can connect to more than 120 destinations in Europe, Asia, and Africa through Condor’s extensive network of partner airlines. Tickets start at $399 one-way to Frankfurt and are now available at www.Condor.com and all other online travel sources.

An all-time high 15 airlines now operate at the Airport offering a wide range of airlines and price points that meet any passenger’s budget. The increase in the number of airlines serving New Orleans has helped keep fares competitive between air carriers and keep costs low for travelers. Compared to other airports, Armstrong International’s average air fare is among the lowest, which further contributes to our growth in enplanements.