The opening of the new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has been delayed again. The opening of the $1.3 billion facility has been pushed back from May 15 to an unspecified date in the fall.
Today, the city said in a statement that "the complex coordination of construction activities during the final phase of this major project has impacted the ability to provide the new, state-of-the-art airport facility to the Greater New Orleans region on the previously-scheduled date of May 15, 2019."
“This is a once in a lifetime investment that will benefit our city, region, state and all of our people. I accept the responsibility of making sure that when our new airport opens, it is at 100 percent readiness,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “The fact is: it is not ready, and there is more work to be done to get us there. I fully support the additional time needed and look forward to opening our new, completely operational facility at its peak on Day One.”
The delay will not impact current operations at the present terminal, which will continue to operate as normal until the new one opens.
"Throughout the construction process, the Board has received progress updates, and we believe that this decision is in the best interest of our partners and the community," said Doug Thornton, chairman of the aviation board's construction committee. "We can easily continue to operate in our existing facility during this short period until the new terminal is ready for full activation. It’s a big and complicated project, so it’s important we take this time to ensure that all systems are fully functional."
"As Airport officials continue to evaluate the project construction schedule, a specific opening date will be confirmed in advance of the move so the general public and other stakeholders can make any necessary preparations," the city's statement said.
It's the latest in several delays. When announcing the new airport project in early 2014, city leaders had initially envisioned opening in time for New Orleans' 300th anniversary in May 2018. Not long after the project began, the opening date was pushed back to fall 2018, then early 2019. In September, officials announced a problem with the main sewer line would delay the opening to May.
