How much has the pandemic affected air travel in and out of New Orleans International?
Addressing the New Orleans Airport Board of Directors, Airport Director Kevin Dolliole laid out the numbers in stark reality:
“For the month of June, enplanements were down 83.1%. Deplanements 83.3%. So we’re down for the month of June, year-over-year at 83.2%.”
And Dolliole continued to show just how much 12-months has changed, five months into the pandemic.
“Pre-COVID we were typically at 160 (flights departing a day),” Director Dolliole explains.
“And in June, we at an average of 47 departures a day. And the seating capacity was down 71.9%.”
Dolliole says a slow improvement is underway. But the numbers of passengers visiting the restaurants, lounges and shops at the airport and the revenue they would generate is down precipitously as well.
Overall the numbers for New Orleans International Airport break down like this, “Because we had good months January, February and the first half of March, and that combined with the down months of April, May, and June, brings us to the grand total of 54.1% down.”
While things are running so slowly over the coming months, New Orleans International Airport will embark on a taxiway construction project.
Taxiways Golf and Bravo will be lengthened and connected allowing arriving and departing aircraft an easier way to get to and from the new Northside terminal.
The project is budgeted at more than $50-million dollars.
The contract has been awarded to Barriere Construction of Metairie.
The good news about the project, as delivered by Deputy Director of Planning and Development James McClusky: “The most important part is the budget is 100% covered. And that means we have an Airport Improvement Program grant and also our match is part of the grant and the state is covered with the CARES Act, so the whole project is 100% covered.”
Construction, extension and connection of the taxiways is set to get underway this fall.