Because five extra gates will be added to the new terminal at Armstrong Airport, the opening has been pushed back to February 2019.
The New Orleans Aviation Board has voted to expand the total number of gates to 35. The five-gate expansion and other expenses add approximately $178 million to the project, bringing the overall total to $993 million.
Construction on the new terminal is underway and proceeding on schedule. The design and environmental review processes for the expansion are expected to be complete this spring. Rather than open the airport in a staggered, phased basis which could cause logistical issues, the decision was made to open the new facility together in February 2019.
The 972,000 square-foot terminal will feature a 2,190-car parking garage and a ground transportation staging area. Portions of the existing facility, including the parking garages, will also be repurposed and used as part of the new airport complex.