More Passengers than Ever Before at Armstrong International

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Michelle C. Wilcut
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(New Orleans, LA) - The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) has set a new all-time record for total passengers served. In 2016, a total of 11,139,421 passengers were served. This represents a 4.4% increase over the prior record set in 2015 when the Airport surpassed ten million passengers for the first time in its history.

This achievement can be attributed to the ever-growing list of new flights and destinations added in 2016. The airport experienced a 21% growth in non-stop destinations, increasing from 48 cities in 2015 to 58 cities in 2016. Average daily departures increased from 137 flights to 146 flights, representing a 6.7% year over year increase. Average daily carrier seats also increased by 7.2% from 2015. Passenger traffic peaked in May and October 2016 when traffic reached over one million total passengers in each of those months.

"The airport's record-breaking passenger totals can be credited to the hard work of airport employees and community and business leaders who continue to recruit the air service that allows the people in our community to travel to cities all over the world for business and leisure," said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. "The new terminal coming online in 2018 will serve as a great first and last impression for the many visitors who travel to New Orleans."

Many new flights are set to begin in 2017. This month, Allegiant Air will begin non-stop service to two new destinations Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and Cleveland, Ohio. Spirit Airlines will begin service to Cleveland, Ohio; Baltimore/Washington, DC; and Orlando, Florida, in May. New international service with British Airways to London Heathrow will begin on March 27, 2017, with four weekly flights on their Boeing 787-800, followed by twice-weekly service to Frankfurt, Germany, with Condor starting May 3, 2017.

"The New Orleans Aviation Board is dedicated to pursuing new service from New Orleans that will better connect our region with the places people need to go," said New Orleans Aviation Board Chairwoman Cheryl Teamer. "That drive has helped the airport surpass 11 million total passengers for the first time in its history, a superb achievement."

"Armstrong International has had great success over the last seven years as it continues grow and improve travel to and from the Greater New Orleans region," said New Orleans Councilman Jared Brossett, Chair of the Transportation and Airport Committee.

"MSY is truly Louisiana's airport, providing passengers with more non-stop destinations and airlines to choose from than ever before," said Mark Reis, Interim Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. "The airport's mission is to serve as the gateway to the Southeast and improve travel options for the local community, and I feel we are doing just that."