Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs are categorized by topic. Please click on a topic to view questions and answers about Armstrong International.Flight/Airline Travel Information
Hotel and Car Rental Information
How to use MSY
Miscellaneous
MSY Facilities
Parking and Ground Transportation at MSY
Traveler Tips
Flight/Airline Travel Information
Q: Can I bring a king cake on board the aircraft with me?
A: Generally, the TSA allows passengers to carry king cakes and other baked goods on board the aircraft with them. Remember these items are subject to additional screening. For more information visit TSA.gov
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Q: Is curbside check-in available?
A: Not all airlines offer curbside check-in. Check with your airline to determine if this option is available.
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Q: What are the size & weight limits for carry-on luggage?
A: The size and weight limits for carry-on baggage vary by airline. Specifications can be found on your airlines web site.
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Q: Where can I find out information about airline requirements for identification, carry-on items, and security matters?
A: For the latest information about security issues regarding air travel, go to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website. Click here.
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Q: Where do I meet passengers arriving on international flights?
A: Passengers arriving on international flights may be met in the baggage claim area at the Customs Exit located near the escalators for Concourse C.
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Hotel and Car Rental Information
Q: How can I find a hotel in the Greater New Orleans Metro area?
A: You may view a listing of hotels in New Orleans by clicking on www.neworleanscvb.com
To find a hotel in the neighboring Jefferson Parish, click www.experiencejefferson.com/visitors/hotels
To find a hotel in the River Parishes, click on www.travels.com/hotels/point-of-interest/united-states/louisiana/la-place/river-parishes-hospital.
A hotel directory is also located in the baggage claim area of the terminal.
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Q: What rental cars are serving Armstrong International?
A: A number of rental car companies operate at Armstrong International Airport. To find a rental car, click here.
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How to use MSY
Q: Can I drop off or pick up passengers at curbside?
A: Yes, curbside drop off is permitted with some airlines offering curbside check-in. Parking, stopping and waiting is prohibited. We recommend the use of the "Free" Cell Phone Lot when waiting for arriving passengers.
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Q: How early should I be at the airport before my flight?
A: It is recommended that all passengers allow sufficient time to check in, drop off baggage and clear security. The approximate time suggested is 1 -1/2 to 2 hours prior to boarding. This should give ample time to also do some last minute shopping or get something to eat. It is also recommended that prior to traveling to the airport, passengers should check with their airline or view the airport website to see if the flight is on time, delayed or cancelled. To determine flight status, click here.
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Q: What is a Cell Phone Lot?
A: This parking lot is available year round. It is free, has security present and is located across Airline Drive from the airport in a fenced area marked with a large brown sign. Here is how it works. When your arriving party is in baggage claim and have received their luggage, they simply call you on your cell phone to let you know they are ready to go. In minutes, you will be able to pick them up outside baggage claim on the lower roadway. It is important to note that the lower baggage claim area is not a waiting area. If you park there, the police will ask you to move so please use the cell phone lot. It is easy to use, safe and convenient.
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Q: Where can I meet passengers in the airport?
A: In the airport, you may meet your passengers at the exit of each Concourse. If you need assistance finding your Concourse, please check with the Airport Information Booth.
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Miscellaneous
Q: Are there any places at the airport to store baggage?
A: Lockers are not available for storage.
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Q: Can I exchange foreign currency in the airport?
A: Foreign currency exchange services are available from Travelex America and Whitney Bank. Particular conditions of exchange may apply. These services are located on Level 2.
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Q: Can I reserve a meeting room at the airport?
A: Unfortunately, the airport does not have meeting rooms available to the general public.
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Q: Can I smoke in the terminal? If not, is there a designated area for smoking?
A: Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the airport terminal by state law. The smoking areas are available outside the terminal on the top or bottom ramps in the designated areas. You may not smoke in front of the outside entrances.
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Q: Can I take personal pictures in the airport?
A:
Personal pictures may be taken in the airport. For photographs of security operations and procedures, please refer to the TSA web site at www.tsa.gov.
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Q: Do you have a Public Art Program?
A: Armstrong International has invested nearly $1 million dollars in artwork of all mediums. The artwork is displayed throughout the airport. An art brochure is available at no charge at the Information Booth on Level 2 located near Concourse C.
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Q: Does Armstrong International have a “Service Animal Relief Area”?
A: Armstrong International Airport maintains a Service Animal Relief Area across from the baggage claim loading area at Level 1.
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Q: How can I apply for a job at the airport?
A: The work force at the airport is composed of various entities. Each company has its own hiring policies and procedures. Click here for further information.
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Q: How can I find out how to do business with the airport?
A: To do find information about doing business with the airport, click here.
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Q: How long does it take to clear customs at Armstrong International?
A: The work force at the airport is composed of various entities. Each company has its own hiring policies and procedures. Click here for further information.
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Q: Is there a post office at the airport?
A: There is an unmanned post office on Level 2 with an active drop box located in the Concourse B Lobby. The hours of pick-up are posted on the drop box. Federal Express and United Parcel Service maintain drop boxes next to the USPS drop box.
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Q: What does MSY stand for?
Click on image above for larger view
A: MSY stands for Moisant Stock Yards named for famed aviator and barnstormer John B. Moisant. An early aviation pioneer, Moisant wanted to win the Michelin Trophy, a coveted racing prize by aviators. He arranged for a representative of the Aero Club of America to observe his attempt to give it official status, as he attempted to set a new sustained flight record at an arranged space at Harahan plantation near the Illinois Central railroad yards. He crashed his racing Bleriot aeroplane, resulting in his death, on the 3.82 mile elliptical course that was staked out. After the crash, the property was turned into stock yards for cattle and named after him--Moisant Stock Yards.
The airport was later built near the stock yards location. Since most residents knew where Moisant Stock Yards were located, the name was used as the first identifier for the airport. The original name of the airport was Moisant Field/Moisant International. It later was changed to New Orleans International Airport, but the airport identifier stayed the same since it is extremely difficult to change the airports identifier in all of the aviation official publications. In 2001, the airport was renamed once again in honor of jazz icon Louis "Satchmo” Armstrong.
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Q: What time does the airport open?
A: The airport facility is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Airlines and vendors operating in the airport facility keep their respective hours of operation.
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MSY Facilities
Q: How can I get travel assistance at the airport?
A: Travel assistance is arranged by the airline. To schedule assistance, please have that information added to your airline reservation by contacting your airline through reservations.
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Q: How can I page someone after arriving on a flight or report an emergency?
A: White courtesy phones are located throughout the airport for paging and reporting emergencies. Follow the instructions on the phone to page someone or to report an emergency.
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Q: How do I check on a lost item?
A: The airport Lost & Found hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The contact number is (504) 303-7790. To contact the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Lost and Found, either e-mail to msy-msoc@dhs.gov or call (504) 463-2251.
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Q: What is the mailing address of the airport?
A: The mailing address for the New Orleans Aviation Board and members of the Airport Staff is P.O. Box 20007, New Orleans, LA 70141.
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Q: What is the physical address of the airport?
A: The physical address for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is 900 Airline Drive, Kenner, LA 70062
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Q: Where can I get a map of the facilities?
A: To see a map of the airport facilities, click here.
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Parking and Ground Transportation at MSY
Q: How much do the ground transportation options cost?
A: The expense to travel on the various ground transportation options vary. To explore the various options, click here.
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Q: Is there an airport shuttle to the terminal?
A: No, there is not shuttle service from the short term and long term parking garages to the airport terminal.
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Q: What are my parking options at the airport?
A: The airport offers short term and long term parking in the covered parking garages adjacent to the airport terminal.
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Q: What type of ground transportation is available at Armstrong International?
A: Ground transportation options include taxi service, shuttle service, limousine service and public transportation.
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Traveler Tips
Q: How long can I sit in my car in the airport baggage area to wait for my passenger?
A: There is no parking, stopping or waiting allowed in the airport baggage area to wait for passengers. Stopping in this area is only allowed for the immediate loading of passengers. A free Cell Phone Lot is provided for waiting. It is located on Airline Drive across from the airport.
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Q: How often does the parking shuttle for the outlying parking lots run?
A: Shuttles to off site parking lots run continuously and pick up in the Ground Transportation Center.
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Q: Should I check with my airline for flight status before I come to the Airport?
A: We advise checking with your airline to ensure your flight is not delayed or cancelled. You may also check for this information by clicking here.
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Q: What are the requirements for traveling with a pet?
A: Each airline sets its own requirements for traveling with pets. Check with your airline for size and carrier requirements.
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Q: What identification is needed for children at the checkpoint?
A: No identification is required for children. Adults 18 and over are required to present acceptable identification. For more information about ID requirements, go to http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/acceptable_documents.shtm.
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Q: What transportation options are available from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to Downtown New Orleans?
A: A variety of services are available. These include limousine, shuttle, taxi and city bus. For details, click here.
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Q: Where are Parking Lots located?
A: Both Long Term and Short Term Parking are located adjacent to the Airport Terminal. Entrance to the Parking Lots may be accessed from the East via the Airport Access Road or from the West via Airline Highway.
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Q: Where can I exchange currency?
A: Currency exchange service is available at TRAVELEX AMERICA located in the Concourse D Lobby. Whitney Bank customers may request currency exchange service at the Whitney Bank located on the Mezzanine Level above Concourse C.
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Q: Who do I call to arrange for wheel chair service?
A: Call the airline and make sure the notation for wheel chair service is listed in your airline reservation.
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What is happening to the current terminal?
Once the new terminal is open, the airport will have over 200 acres of developable land on the south side of airport property. A land use analysis is being conducted to determine the highest and best use of the land.
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Why do we need a new airport terminal?
The Age of the Airport Terminal. The current terminal is over 50 years old. An aging facility hurts two ways. First, it does not make a good impression on behalf of our community and second, it costs more to maintain and increases the cost to our airlines that results in hurting business here at MSY.
Reconfigure Concessions. The optimum operation for the airport will have non-airline revenue from concessions greater than airline revenue. Because of the physical limitations of the existing terminal, the opportunity to reach optimum revenue balance is limited.
In-Line Baggage Screening Solution Needed. A strategic deficiency in the present terminal is the absence of an inline Explosive Detection System (EDS) for screening checked baggage or luggage. It is a must-have feature in any modern airport of our size.
Lack of Full Airport Access. Because the existing concourses in the terminal were constructed as four unlinked structures, the lack of an option to transfer between flights on the secure side of the airport results in fewer flights and fewer people. The present terminal layout also eliminates full access to all of the restaurants and concessions.
Consolidated Checkpoint Needed. Finally, for the airport to efficiently process the growing number of passengers at Armstrong International through security it will require a consolidated checkpoint that cannot be constructed in the present structure.
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Will there be an art program in the new terminal?
The airport is in the process of auditing and inventorying its current art collection and does not plan at the present moment to modify or increase the collection until we have moved all operations to the new terminal. We are compiling a list of artists who have expressed an interest in the new terminal art program or in making donations of art for upcoming communications as the new program is developed after operations have moved to the new terminal. Persons interested in being included on this list can fill out the form here: https://www.thenewmsy.com/art-in-the-terminal.
In the new terminal, the Airport’s current collection will be augmented by the visual and performing arts programs provided by the concessionaires and the open structure and expansive glass walls presented by the building’s unique architecture, which was designed by world renowned architect, Cesar Pelli.
Nevertheless, there will be a public Call to Artists advertised in 2019 seeking artists with demonstrated experience in creating large-scale public art pieces for the commissioning of a sculpture in the entrance round-about on the access road area approaching the new Terminal.
Persons interested in being included on the list to receive notice of the Call to Artists for the sculpture project can fill out the form here: https://www.thenewmsy.com/art-in-the-terminal.
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How will you get to the new terminal?
When the new MSY terminal opens in May 2019, the public will take a different route to get to the airport. The new terminal is located in closer proximity to the region’s main thoroughfare, I-10. Travelers will exit Loyola Drive from I-10, cross over Veterans Boulevard and proceed on the new dedicated Airport access roadway.
The streets leading from the interstate to airport property are maintained by the State of Louisiana, and plans are underway now to make improvements to the roadways to accommodate traffic flow through the Veterans/Loyola corridor.
Learn more at https://www.thenewmsy.com/the-plan/accessing-the-terminal.
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What airlines will fly from the new terminal?
All airlines will transfer to and operate from the new terminal. Once the new terminal opens, no commercial flights will operate from the existing facility.
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What will be housed on the south side of airport property?
Some facilities on the south side of airport property will continue to be housed there. The Consolidated Rental Car facility, Firehouse, Long-Term Parking, and Air Traffic Control Tower will stay in their current location.
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What parking will be available at the new terminal?
When the new terminal opens, estimates show that the ideal number of parking spaces needed to adequately meet forecasted parking demand is approximately 7,000. The plans for the new terminal include over 8,000 spaces, which will support future growth. The planned parking facilities are a Short Term Garage, Long Term Garage and Surface Parking Lot adjacent to the new terminal and a remote Economy Garage (current Long Term Garage) with free shuttle service to and from the terminal.
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Is the rental car facility relocating, too?
The rental car facility is not relocating to the north side of airport property. Passengers will have to take a shuttle from the new terminal to the rental car facility on the south side of airport property.
