The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is continuing to prepare for Hurricane Gustav.

The airport is working closely with the airlines, local, state and federal government officials, especially FEMA, DOD and TSA to ensure the safe and orderly departure of passengers and as well as all the personnel who are working to evacuate passengers through air operations.  The entire process is very fluid taking into account the projected path of the storm and forecast intensity. As these aspects change, so may the Airport’s plans. The overriding factor on determining when to curtail aircraft activity is safety: safety of aircraft and passengers, and safety of support personnel.

Armstrong International anticipates the last outbound flight to occur by 6:00 pm on Sunday, August 31.  The actual last flight departure time will vary by carrier so passengers should confirm their flights with their airlines before coming to the airport.

Only ticketed passengers will be allowed to enter the Airport beginning tomorrow.  Any passengers coming to the airport for a flight should have proof of a flight reservation.  This can be a paper ticket, boarding pass or printed itinerary from the airline web site.  Passengers should expect to encounter checkpoints as they approach the airport terminal.

Passengers should also keep in mind that many employees are also under evacuation orders so some support services such as food and beverage and retail businesses may not be operational.  Please keep this in mind prior to coming to the airport. 

For the latest flight information, refer to your airlines’ web site or reservations number or the Airport’s web site at www.flymsy.com.