New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport has long trailed other regional airports in several areas, but recent developments indicate meaningful improvements for both visitors and residents.
Local civic and business leaders recently announced a new nonstop service between New Orleans and London’s Heathrow Airport.
The route will begin on March 27, 2017, coinciding with the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. British Airways will operate four weekly flights between New Orleans and London.
Departures from Heathrow will be scheduled at 3:00 p.m., arriving in New Orleans at approximately 7:30 p.m. Flights departing New Orleans will leave at 9:40 p.m., arriving in London around midday the next day. British Airways plans to use its new 214-passenger Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on this route.
One New Orleans business leader involved in negotiations to open the route estimated the service could support roughly 1,500 to 2,000 jobs in the city’s hospitality sector.
In addition to the Heathrow connection, New Orleans has recently added service to Frankfurt (FRA) and to Panama City, Panama (PTY), further expanding the airport’s international reach.