
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (IATA: MSY) is an international airport in the City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is located 11 miles (18 km) west of downtown New Orleans. The airport's IATA code MSY was derived from Moisant Stock Yards, as Lakefront Airport retained the code NEW. The airport is not categorised as a Cat X airport, which refers to the top 25 airports that get extra subsidies from the FAA and have high security concerns.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport |
| IATA Code | MSY |
| ICAO | KMSY |
| FAA LID | MSY |
| Location | City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States |
| Distance from downtown New Orleans | 11 miles (18 km) |
| Area | 1,500 acres (607 ha) |
| Elevation | 4.5 feet (1.4 m) above sea level |
| Runways | 2 |
| Helipads | 2 |
| Terminals | 1 |
| Concourses | 3 |
| Gates | 35 |
| Former name | Moisant Field |
| Former name origin | Aviator John Moisant |
| Current name origin | Louis Armstrong |
| Cat X | Refers to the top 25 airports with characteristics (usually size) that most airports don't have and need federal subsidies |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- MSY is the IATA code for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
- The airport is named after Louis Armstrong, previously named after aviator John Moisant
- Cat X airports are large and busy, with high security concerns
- MSY is not a Cat X airport
- MSY covers 1,500 acres of land and has two runways and two helipads

MSY is the IATA code for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, located in the City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, is owned by the City of New Orleans and is 11 miles (18 km) west of downtown New Orleans. The airport's IATA code is MSY, which was derived from Moisant Stock Yards as the land where the airport is located was previously used by the aviator John Moisant. The airport was renamed in July 2001 to honour the 100th anniversary of Louis Armstrong's birth.
MSY covers 1,500 acres (607 ha) of land and contains two runways and two helipads. The airport is the primary commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana, providing nonstop service to around 60 destinations, including Europe, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
MSY is not considered a Cat X airport, which refers to the top 25 airports that receive extra subsidies from the FAA due to their size and high security concerns. While MSY is not in the top 25 busiest airports, it has received awards for being the Best Airport in North America (5 to 15 million passengers per year).
The airport has a single terminal with three concourses labelled A, B, and C, and a total of 35 gates. A new terminal building was constructed on the north side of the airport property, opening in November 2019 at a cost of $1.3 billion. The former terminal, located on the south side, is no longer in regular commercial use.
Grand Turk's Airport Count: A Comprehensive Overview
You may want to see also
Explore related products

The airport is named after Louis Armstrong, previously named after aviator John Moisant
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, also known as MSY, is named after the jazz musician Louis Armstrong. The airport was renamed in July 2001 to honour the 100th anniversary of his birth. Before this, the airport was named after John Moisant, a daredevil aviator who died in 1910 in a plane crash on the agricultural land where the airport is now located.
Moisant was a pioneer aviator and daredevil, known as the "King of Aviators". He was the first to conduct passenger flights over a city (New York) and the first to fly across the English Channel with a passenger. He came to New Orleans on New Year's Eve 1910 with a group of fellow daredevil aviators to perform aeronautical acrobatics and attempt to break the record for the longest non-stop flight.
The airport's IATA code, MSY, is derived from the Moisant Stock Yards, which were named after John Moisant. After his death, cattle were pastured on the land where he crashed, and the area became known as the Moisant Stock Yards. When the airport opened in 1946, it was named Moisant Field. In 1960, the airport became the New Orleans International Airport, and in 2001, it was renamed after Louis Armstrong.
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is located in the City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and is owned by the City of New Orleans. It is the primary commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana, offering non-stop service to around 60 destinations worldwide. The airport covers 1,500 acres of land and includes two runways and two helipads.
Arriving Prepared: Toronto Airport Timing Tips
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Cat X airports are large and busy, with high security concerns
Cat X airports are large airports with high security concerns. The "X" in Cat X stands for "eXtraordinary". Before 9/11, Cat X airports were defined as the top 10 airports, but after the attacks, the ranking was raised to the top 25. These airports receive federal subsidies from the FAA due to their size and security concerns.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is an international airport in the City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is located 11 miles (18 km) west of downtown New Orleans. MSY covers 1,500 acres (607 ha) of land and contains two runways and two helipads. It is the primary commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana, providing nonstop service to around 60 destinations, including Europe, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
MSY is not a Cat X airport, but it has been consistently recognized as the best large airport in North America by ACI ASQ for four years in a row. The airport has a single terminal with three concourses (A, B, and C) and 35 gates. In 2014, MSY served 9,785,394 passengers, exceeding the total passenger count from 2004, which was the last full calendar year before Hurricane Katrina.
Cat X airports are large and busy airports with a high volume of traffic and flights. They are often international hubs and have multiple terminals, runways, and gates to accommodate the high volume of passengers and aircraft. These airports require a significant amount of resources and funding to operate and maintain security.
Which Airlines Fly to Orange County Airport?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

MSY is not a Cat X airport
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (IATA: MSY) is not a Cat X airport. Cat X airports are those that have characteristics, usually their size, that most other airports do not have and need federal subsidies to overcome them. They are also airports with high security concerns.
MSY is an international airport under Class B airspace in the City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is located 11 miles (18 km) west of downtown New Orleans. MSY covers 1,500 acres (607 ha) of land and contains two runways and two helipads. It is the primary commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana.
MSY is not one of the largest airports, a characteristic of Cat X airports. It is significantly smaller than many other airports in the US, such as the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
Additionally, MSY does not have the same level of security concerns as Cat X airports like Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, DC, which is within sight of many important government buildings.
While MSY is a busy airport, serving 9,785,394 passengers in 2014, it is not in the top 25 busiest airports in the US, which some sources indicate are the current Cat X airports.
Houston's Dual Airport System: A Unique Travel Experience
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$11.89 $13.99

MSY covers 1,500 acres of land and has two runways and two helipads
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, also known as MSY, covers 1,500 acres of land and has two runways and two helipads. It is located in the City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and is owned by the City of New Orleans. The airport is approximately 11 miles west of downtown New Orleans and is the primary commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana.
MSY is a busy airport, serving 9,785,394 passengers in 2014, and has been recognised as the Best Large Airport in North America by ACI ASQ four years in a row. It offers nonstop service to around 60 destinations, including Europe, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The airport has a single terminal with three concourses (A, B, and C) and 35 gates.
The history of the airport goes back to the early 20th century when the land was used for agricultural purposes. In 1910, aviator John Moisant died in an airplane crash on the land where the airport is now located. During World War II, the land became a government air base, and commercial service commenced in 1946. The airport was originally named Moisant Field after John Moisant, and its IATA code MSY was derived from Moisant Stock Yards.
In July 2001, the airport was renamed the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to honour the 100th anniversary of Louis Armstrong's birth. The airport has faced challenges, including the impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which led to a temporary closure, and the Fort Lauderdale Hurricane in 1947, which submerged the airport under two feet of water. Despite these setbacks, MSY has continued to develop and expand, with a new terminal opening in November 2019 at a cost of $1.3 billion.
McAllen, Texas: Airport Accessibility and Convenience
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
MSY is the IATA code for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The IATA code is an International Air Transport Association Airport Code.
The IATA code MSY was derived from Moisant Stock Yards, as Lakefront Airport retained the code NEW. The airport was originally named Moisant Field after daredevil aviator John Moisant.
No, MSY is not a Cat X airport. Cat X airports are those that have characteristics, usually size, that most other airports don't have and need federal subsidies.






























