re: New MSY in game thread

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The airliners wanted a new terminal and they are paying for most of it. I trust them a lot more than our bureaucrats.

The highway issues should have been sorted out sooner, that much is true.

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The airlines and the planners should have considered the highway situation and had it all planned before construction started.

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In theory, you could rebuild MSY piece by piece but that would cost just as much as a new airport. Or more

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I feel like they spent a decade or more rebuilding Hobby and Love. Both are basically completely new terminals built in place of the old ones, section by section.

The problem with the current MSY terminal is that it's long east-west wise, but not very big north-south wise. So to build the type of terminal they wanted, I don't think was feasible in the current footprint.

And, when the new build decision was made... they probably figured the cost of construction PLUS the cost of road improvements, including interstate access, not only was less than a complete demolish of the old terminal, but would probably be done in 1/3 to 1/2 the time.

That's not quite the way it worked out... which makes all this Monday Morning Quarterbacking an easy sport.

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The only thing I will say is, in theory, the new place should be better accessible from the interstate once the flyover they didn't bother to insure would be built at the same time is built.

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This is really the only major issue.

And if anything, it speaks to the complete inability for our state and local governments to work together on stuff. The city and state should have been doing this jointly, including finding the money for it. There are ways that could have been done (tolls, extra charges for parking / taxis / uber, etc) that would have involved the airport authority building and owning the ramps and access.

But again, that would have required the different parts of government to work together.

Instead, you have a mayor who was hellbent on having it finished while he was still in office, and a governor who would be damned to let a democrat mayor have a "victory".

Eventually, the interstate access will be built, the kinks will work out, and perhaps you might even see some new development on the north side of the airport. Anything new coming in that would upgrade the ghetto out there would be a good thing.

I would be interested to see any link to the airlines asking for a new terminal.

No link, but I've heard the same thing.

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I'm actually thinking the traffic issues seem a bit overblown here and won't be the true horror story of this new facility. Place is literally right off the intersate.

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Just talked to one of the shuttle bus guys at US PARK. He said he timed his new route from their lot to the terminal and it averages about 12 minutes.

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A coworker flew in today and went to Avis to get his car. The Avis guy told him the rental shuttle duration is running around 18 minutes from the trial runs.

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Trial runs dont take into account all traffic shifting to new terminal

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which means in reality could be worse come wednesday

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Anyone know if they have moved all the rental car counters to the new terminal or what?

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rental car counters stay where they're at in the rental car building/garage. Except you need to shuttle to it instead of walking like from the old terminal.

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our bureaucrats (NOT the airlines) chose a fourth alternative completely opposite of everything that made basically everything existing useless or obsolete.

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Actually the airlines were heavily involved and wanted the new terminal.

ETA: all proposal utilizing the old terminal would have driven higher landing fees for the airlines aka the passengers.

From the aerial views it looks like only 2 concourses and fewer jet bridges? If this is correct, is it about being more streamlined and efficient?