Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
History, Facts and Overview

(New Orleans, Louisiana - LA, USA)

During the 1930s, it soon became clear the New Orleans' existing municipal airport was becoming both undersized and over stretched. Due to its lakefront setting, expansion plans were too costly and so it was decided to build a new airport for the city of New Orleans.

Delayed by the war years of the 1940s, New Orleans Airport finally opened at the beginning of 1946. Known as the Moisant Field, it immediately became one of the biggest civil airports in the whole of the USA, covering a total of almost 1,400 acres / 566 hectares. Major expansion plans were implemented in 1974 and included the building of two extra concourse areas. More recently, the airport changed its actual name to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), celebrating the 100th birthday of the famous American jazz singer Louis Armstrong, who was born in New Orleans in 1901.


Passenger amenities at the busy Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are extensive and include a VIP luggage check-in service for those in a rush, and also convenient advance check-in facilities for cruise passengers, where luggage is delivered straight to the dock. Airline lounges are provides by Delta Airlines, while a branch of the Whitney National Bank is also onsite and within the main Ticket Lobby.

Various cash machines provide an easy way to obtain US Dollars, along with a TravelEx America Business Center, which is on-hand and open every day between the hours of 06:00 to 17:00. Passengers arriving at Louis Armstrong International Airport will also find wireless Internet 'hotspots', Louisiana Tax-Free stores, and plenty of eateries serving up traditional New Orleans and Cajun dishes. Those in need of tourism advice will find multilingual representatives at the airport's numerous visitor booths.