Msy

[RowUnderDCA]

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/ba...19988171950.xml

"We'll be able to redirect the PFC money into the Concourse D program dollar for dollar," Williams said.

The new gates are needed to accommodate the newest models of wide-body aircraft, which have wider wingspans. It also would enable some airlines to move away from the south side of Concourse A, which has relatively little maneuvering room for jets. U.S. Airways and Northwest Airlines are using Concourse A. "

I like U's gates on Concourse A: convenient, not with SWA, easy TSA screening point.

But, this article says the gates are operationally limited and presumably, UAL couldn't relocate to Concourse A, kicking out NWA.

This article talks about extending Concourse D (Delta). I guess that CO and NWA will relocate there.

What options that that raise for U? Please don't say sharing concourse C with SWA. Will there be ANY use for Concourse A? Maybe there's no need for U and UAL to be colocated.

Any rumours?

 

[phllax]

It's been a while since I've been at MSY, but IIRC, the jetways for A2 & A4, if still there, are pushed up parallel to the outside wall of the concourse. They are able to maximize ramp usage for the 1900's this way. The access road for the airport is not that far behind A5-7, and there is little room to maneuver. Don't remember if it's so tight that they tow in as well as out, but it is tight. If they could get a 757 into A5-7, and I doubt they can, then they could not get any of the 1900's over to A2 &A4.

 

[Beckles]

Seven more gates ... just what MSY needs ... well, not exactly.

I don't live in MSY anymore, but that airport has always had way too many gates, so basically these gates will replace existing gates, they are not expansion.

First, currently here's where everyone is:

A concourse: US and NW
B concourse: WN
D concourse: DL and CO
C concourse: Everyone else (including AA and UA)

My guess would be that these seven new gates would basically replace A concourse and they'd totally empty the A concourse. NW would move into D with their partners CO and DL. US would move into C (which probably already has enough room for them, I'm not sure how much some of the gates are being used now there) with UA. They might move JetBlue or Frontier or AirTran or such into D too ... but I don't think they'd have to. Right now C concourse has a few unassinged gates already and if UA and US shared gates they'd probably have no problem at all.