New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has announced that a further five gates will be added to the North Terminal Project taking place at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana, taking the total number of gates from 30 to 35.
In January 2016, Mayor Landrieu and the New Orleans Aviation Board (NOAB), the airport operator, broke ground on the new 820,000ft² North Terminal complex, which will serve as a crucial economic driver for the New Orleans metropolitan region.
Originally announced in April 2013, the new North Terminal will be constructed on the north side of the existing airport at a cost of approximately US$800m, creating more than 13,000 new construction jobs. It is estimated that the additional gates will add a further US$110m to the final cost. The project is on track to be completed in October 2018.
“This gate expansion is great news for our city and state,” said Mayor Landrieu. “We are growing at a record pace. In 2016, the growth of the Louis Armstrong International Airport exceeded our expectations yet again. With increased service via 17 airlines and 59 non-stop destinations, including seven international destinations, we have hit the triggers for additional expansion.”
Mark Reis, interim director of aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, said, “Our growth has surpassed all previously forecasted data. Today, we have more airlines and non-stop destinations than ever before. Based on this growth, we updated our activity forecast which showed that expansion plans need to begin sooner than originally anticipated.”
Cheryl Teamer, chair of NOAB, said, “The North Terminal Project always included the option to expand to as high as 42 gates. Due to our current passenger traffic and anticipated future growth, a five gate expansion is necessary to handle continued growth in the facility.”
Written by Dan Symonds
