After Gustav, New Orleans expects to open airport Wednesday

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport remains closed to commercial flights today as a result of Hurricane Gustav but expects to open sometime Wednesday, according to the airport’s website.

The airport urges passengers to check with their airlines to confirm the latest flight information. The website also says passengers arriving at the airport (once it opens) will have to abide by local curfews.

The airport, which is currently operating on generator power, reports that airport parking garages are without electricity. Passengers will be able to get their vehicles when the Jefferson Parish curfew has been lifted.

Continental Airlines’ website is showing delays or cancellations for Louisiana flights to Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Monroe. Ticketholders can go to the website or call (800) 525-0280 to check on reservations and flight status.

AirTran is flying in and out of Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi, today and expects to resume flights to New Orleans on Wednesday. The airline warns that flights may be disrupted Wednesday depending on personnel and services available at that airport, according to a release. Check the website’s “flight status” for information on flights.

Update: The situation at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport appeared to be in flux tonight. On its its website, the airport said, “We anticipate passenger traffic to resume by Thursday.”  Southwest Airlines, which earlier said it planned to resume flights there Wednesday, said tonight it does not expect to do so before noon Central Time on Thursday, at the earliest. Delta Air Lines, citing “local conditions,” also said all its operations on Wednesday were canceled at the airport.

– Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Photo: The home, left, was being repaired when Hurricane Gustav hit and forced it off its foundation; Bill Haber / Associated Press]

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 2:50 pm by Mary Forgione and is filed under New Orleans & Louisiana, News, Tips & Advice, Southern States. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.