KENNER, La. -- In the terminal at Armstrong International Airport on Wednesday, holiday travelers waited their turn to head out of town.
"I thought it would be a lot more crowded today, but got in and out pretty quick with our tickets and just waiting to board the airplane," said Ronnie McCuin of Denham Springs.
"Everything is on time," said Austin Gingold. "Everything is planned out."
What is also planned out is an upcoming capital improvement project for the airport to the tune of more than $350 million. The money comes partly from bonds and from the passenger facility charges that travelers pay on each plane ticket.
"It's a lot of stuff that the public is going to start seeing, as spring approaches when we start issuing the notices to proceed," said airport spokeswoman Michelle Wilcut.
Plans include the addition of six gates to Concourse 'D' and more retail and food establishments. More than 20 restrooms in the terminal will also be renovated. There are changes planned for the ticket counters, along with the addition of glass walls along the front exterior of the terminal.
"It will really open up the terminal facilities, the ticket lobbies, just getting a better flow of people going through the lobbies and really giving the community some pride in their airport," Wilcut said. "Because this is our airport."
It is an airport that is preparing for one of the biggest passenger crowds of all -- when New Orleans hosts the Super Bowl in 2013. People who were waiting for holiday visitors at the airport on Wednesday said the improvements are welcome news.
"I think it's going to improve the look and feel of the city, especially with the visitors and the traffic that comes in to see the city, this is going to be a big improvement," said Sue Hill of Baton Rouge.
An airport spokeswoman said plans for the renovations began before Hurricane Katrina. After the storm, though, the number of people flying into the city plummeted-- and with it, so did the amount in facility fees collected on each passenger's ticket.
"As the passengers dropped off, those funds stopped coming in," Wilcut said. "And you can't proceed with the construction until you have those funds in place."
However, now that the funds are in place, construction is set to begin in areas accessible to the public. The airport just awarded the bid for the Concourse 'D' expansion. It is expected to take a little more than a year to complete.
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