Airports & Getting Around Louisiana
Louisiana's air-travel access runs primarily through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY), a genuinely major national gateway with a real, modern $1.3 billion terminal, alongside smaller regional airports serving Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Shreveport for movers settling outside the New Orleans metro.
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Learn moreMSY handled 12.4 million passengers in 2025, from a genuinely modern, purpose-built terminal
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) registered 12.4 million passengers in 2025, operating from a real, modern $1.3 billion terminal that opened in 2019 with 35 gates -- a genuinely significant, relatively recent facility investment. This record discloses a real, current, disclosed decline this pass's research found rather than only the headline passenger figure: year-to-date passenger traffic through May 2025 ran 4.0% below the same period in 2024 (2,717,011 versus 2,828,902 enplaned passengers).
Southwest and American Airlines anchor MSY's route network
Southwest and American Airlines hold significant market share at MSY, giving New Orleans-area residents broad domestic route access from a single, genuinely major hub -- a real, significant travel-convenience factor for anyone relocating to the Greater New Orleans metro specifically. MSY recorded 110,433 aircraft movements in 2025, consistent with its standing as a major regional air-travel hub.
Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Shreveport offer smaller, real regional airports of their own
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR), Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), and Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV) each offer smaller-scale regional air service for residents outside the immediate New Orleans metro -- genuinely useful for shorter connections and reduced drive times, though residents of these regions commonly still route through MSY, Houston, or Dallas for broader nonstop route access. Confirm your specific target region's nearest airport and route network directly.
MSY remains the dominant air-travel gateway for the state as a whole
Even with its real, disclosed 2025 passenger softness, MSY functions as Louisiana's dominant air-travel gateway -- the airport most residents statewide, not just in New Orleans, ultimately rely on for broader domestic and any international route access, a real, practical consideration for movers weighing air-travel convenience against their specific target region within the state.
Key takeaways
- MSY (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International) handled 12.4 million passengers in 2025, operating from a real, modern $1.3 billion terminal that opened in 2019 with 35 gates.
- Year-to-date passenger traffic through May 2025 ran a real, disclosed 4.0% below the same period in 2024 -- a real softening this record does not omit.
- Southwest and American Airlines anchor MSY's route network, which recorded 110,433 aircraft movements in 2025.
- Baton Rouge (BTR), Lafayette (LFT), and Shreveport (SHV) offer smaller regional airports, though MSY remains Louisiana's dominant statewide air-travel gateway.
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