ESSENCE President Michelle Ebanks Joins NOLA Mayor Mitch Landrieu For Preview Of New MSY Airport Terminal Ahead Of 2018 ESSENCE Festival

New Orleans Mayor, Mitch Landrieu and the New Orleans Aviation Board surprise for the city as it continues it’s year-long tricentennial celebration. 

Joined by ESSENCE President, Michelle Ebanks on Wednesday, Mayor Landrieu offered a sneak peak of the construction site for the new Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) terminal. The brand new terminal is a nod to the prevalent role MSY airport plays in connecting the world to New Orleans’ thriving culture and tourism industry.

“When we came into office eight years ago, we all talked about not building the city back the way she was, but building it the way she ought to be if we would have gotten it right the first time,” Mayor Landrieu said. “As much as we’ve done and as far as we have to go, it is worth taking a moment to just think about this particular building that you’re in. This is the single biggest project that we’ve done in our history.”

He went on to describe the project as the city’s “economic engine that drives the future.”

The new terminal will feature 35 gates and is on track to open in February 2019.

A beloved southern gem rich in culture, tradition and community, New Orleans has shined bright over the past three centuries as a city of infectious pride filled with history and home to residents of unwavering resilience. In addition to being recognized worldwide for some of the best (or THE best, if you ask us!) cuisine the U.S. has to offer, NOLA has also been a gracious host city of the ESSENCE Festival for nearly 25 years.

Please join us, alongside former Mayor Landrieu and Mayor-elect Latoya Cantrell, in celebrating 300 years and counting with our sister community of New Orleans.