The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) has unveiled its 20-year Master Plan, laying a framework for extensive infrastructure expansion to accommodate growing demand.
The airport recently submitted the plan to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for final approval before implementation. The full documentation will be released following acceptance. MSY officials hosted a forum on March 20, where officials presented a brief overview and renderings of the proposed facility improvements.
Should the Master Plan be accepted, the airport expects the first phase of infrastructure to be completed by 2031. The largest proposed expansion components revolve around the construction of three terminals to process the growing number of passengers and a parking garage. Other notable elements of the plan include:
- Between 10 and 15 additional gates.
- An improved roadway system to remove bottlenecks and increase accessibility and circulation.
- Creating a connection between the terminal to a proposed passenger rail station.
- Redevelopment of the MSY South Campus, including extensive demolition of older terminal facilities.
Completion of the demolition work will open the South Campus for new infrastructure opportunities. These include a cargo apron and building, an apron for general aviation and maintenance, hangar development, transit routes and other aviation-related initiatives.
The airport has forecasted that it will be fielding between 8.6 million to 9.7 million departing passengers over the next decade. Existing facilities lack the space, equipment and services to adequately meet passenger demand, requiring immediate and rapid development to keep pace.
MSY already has several capital projects underway to improve operations and handle growth. These ongoing or soon-to-begin projects include:
- Building the $84.5 million Express Shuttle Connector Road.
- Rehabilitating the $27.1 million Noth-South Runway.
- Spending $45 million to upgrade the checked baggage screening system.
- Building 400 additional parking spaces near the terminal.
Photo by Jeff Hitchcock, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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