New Orleans Airport's New Terminal Provides Lessons for Reimagined Cleveland Hopkins

An image of a live oak tree fills the three-story atrium inside the new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

NEW ORLEANS — For officials looking to remake Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the new airport in New Orleans provides the most recent example of how it might be done.

A new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport opened in November, an expansive, light-filled space with wide concourses, centralized security and terrific dining options.

It is the first big-city airport addition in the United States since 2008, when Indianapolis debuted a new terminal, and before that, in 1995, when Denver International Airport opened 25 miles northeast of downtown Denver.

A rendering of the new terminal at New Orleans airport; it opened in November and replaces an older terminal across the airfield from the new building. (Courtesy Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport)

The United States is currently in the midst of an airport construction boom, with several large projects underway, including an $8.5 billion expansion of Chicago O’Hare and an $8 billion overhaul at LaGuardia in New York City.

Pittsburgh International Airport is expected to break ground on a new, $1.1 billion terminal this year.

And in Cleveland, work is just getting started on a new master plan for Hopkins International Airport, built in 1956. Among the questions expected to be addressed in the new plan: Does Cleveland need a new terminal? And if so, where should it go?

Floor-to-ceiling glass walls inside the new terminal at New Orleans airport. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

In New Orleans, the new, 35-gate terminal was constructed across the airfield from the previous terminal, built in 1959 and expanded in 1974 and 1992. In recent years, it was deemed outdated, cramped and consistently ranked poorly in customer surveys.

Air traffic to and from New Orleans has grown rapidly in recent years, to 13.1 million in 2018, up from 6.2 million the year after Hurricane Katrina, and 9.2 million in 2013.

Cleveland is expected to welcome about 10 million travelers through Hopkins in 2019.

Three-story atrium inside the new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

Acclaimed architect Cesar Pelli, who passed away in July 2019, designed the new New Orleans terminal, with curving glass walls, soaring ceilings and wide-open spaces.

Instead of three separate security checkpoints, the new terminal has one consolidated TSA area, with 15 lanes; half of the gate seats are equipped with electrical outlets; and the airport bathrooms are spacious, with plenty of natural light.

Also here: more than a dozen places to eat offering local cuisine, including Caf\u00e9 du Monde, Emeril’s Table and Leah’s Kitchen; stages for frequent performances of live music, and a life-size image of a live oak tree in the middle of the three-story atrium.

Ticketing area inside the new terminal. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

It’s also one of only a handful of airports in the U.S. where unticketed visitors are permitted to go through security to check out dining and retail options.

Not everything has gone smoothly with the new facility. The terminal was completed more than a year late and at a cost, $1.3 billion, nearly double initial projections.

A new access road to the airport won’t be complete until late 2022, which is leading to traffic backups at busy times of the day. And over the holidays, problems with the new baggage system caused significant flight delays.

The new terminal features more than a dozen places to eat local cuisine, including Folse Market. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

Fortunately, my travels through the new facility last month were uneventful. I experienced short lines for security, minimal wait for my bags and enjoyed a terrific last taste of New Orleans at Folse Market, a food hall-style eatery by local chef John Folse.

The facility offered a positive first impression of the city, which is what any airport should do. Cleveland officials, take note.

A guitarist entertains travelers at the Heritage School of Music Stage, a wine bar at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

Curbside drop-off area at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. (Courtesy the airport)

Signage inside the new terminal explains some of its features. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

For a primer on Mardi Gras, head to Mardi Gras World near the convention center. (Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

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