🇺🇸 Lakefront Airport

Lakefront Airport (FAA LID: NEW, IATA: NEW, ICAO: KNEW) is a medium-sized public airport located on the east end of New Orleans, Louisiana, approximately four miles northeast of downtown. It is categorized as a general aviation reliever airport.

Type of Facility and Operations: The airport features an airport traffic control tower, which operates from 0700L to 2100L. Its airspace is Class D and underlies New Orleans Class B airspace. Traffic primarily consists of general aviation, air-taxi, military, and business aviation, with two flight schools also operating there. The airport has three asphalt runways: 18R/36L (6,879 ft x 150 ft), 18L/36R (3,697 ft x 75 ft), and 9/27 (3,114 ft x 75 ft).

Notable Features or History: Construction of the airport began in 1929 and it opened on February 10, 1934, originally named Shushan Airport. It was renamed New Orleans Airport in 1939 and later became Lakefront Airport. The terminal building retains much of its original lavish 1930s Art Deco decoration, and its exterior has been restored to its original appearance after being obscured by a "bomb-proof" facade installed after World War II. The airport was significantly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Isaac in 2012 but quickly resumed operations. Since 2014, it has hosted the WWII Air, Sea & Land Festival.

Current Status: Lakefront Airport is operational and open to the public. As of December 31, 2022, the airport had 78,080 aircraft operations annually, averaging 214 per day. Its proximity to Lake Pontchartrain makes it susceptible to operational interruptions during heavy rain, particularly on Runway 18R. The field elevation is 7 feet MSL, with some surfaces below that.

*Sources researched: faa.gov, lakefrontairport.com, nfdc.faa.gov, en.wikipedia.org*