Baton Rouge Metro Airport

[drew6974]

I don't know if this info was posted anywhere else but I thought that the airport deserves its own thread considering its expansion and the expanded role it's playing in the development of the BR metro area.

Baton Rouge Metro airport is in the midst of a $100 million expansion.

1) Plank road and Blount Road are both being realigned in order to facilitate the lengthening of the main runway.

2) Runway 4/22 is being extended 600' to 7500' to accomodate larger aircraft operating at capacity.

3) $34 million taxiway improvements.

4) $16 million for runway overlays and new taxiway.

5) $7.8 million to expand the new cargo facility.

6) $5 million for land acquisition for future expansion.

7) $4.5 million to relocate perimeter road.

8) $2.5 million to overlay the main runway.

9) New upgraded lighting system.

Also, a new parking garage is to be built.

Added to the facility improvements, Frontier airlines will begin two round trip flights to Denver and points west beginning in August and possibly Air Tran and maybe even another discount carrier will be coming soon. Exciting times for BR Metro Airport.

[richyb83]

Hey Drew, this is definetly thread-worthy Thanks for starting this topic.

I have been waiting to hear more news about the airport expansion. Definetly needed upgrades for BR Metro and long talked about(like everything else). I will be curious to see the reconfigured Plank and Blount Rd. intersection. Hard to picture Plank Road with a big curve instead of a straight shot...

The Howell Place multi-use development will continue to flourish with the airport upgrades.

[dan326]

That's great. The airport needs some expansions. And a new garage, huh. Never heard that before, but that's great too.

Edited July 1, 2007 by dan326

[yis2003yis]

Hey Drew, this is definetly thread-worthy Thanks for starting this topic.

I have been waiting to hear more news about the airport expansion. Definetly needed upgrades for BR Metro and long talked about(like everything else). I will be curious to see the reconfigured Plank and Blount Rd. intersection. Hard to picture Plank Road with a big curve instead of a straight shot...

The Howell Place multi-use development will continue to flourish with the airport upgrades.

yea...thats going to be a different look...but hey new is better....i like the idea...i go that way everyday...i look past some of the trees, and it's sooooooooo much land back there..im ready for that change

[drew6974]

More good news for Baton Rouge Metro Airport.

Regional jets serving BR Metro will be upgraded. The 50 seat jets will be replaced with 70-100 seat jets. Delta will start flying the Bombardier CRJ 900's and Frontier airlines which starts flying into Baton Rouge next month as the first discount airliner to fly into Baton rouge will use the Embraer 170's which seat up to 78. This move comes about because flights in and out of BTR are at or near full capacity.

Edited July 8, 2007 by drew6974

[byrde]

More good news for Baton Rouge Metro Airport.

Regional jets serving BR Metro will be upgraded. The 50 seat jets will be replaced with 70-100 seat jets. Delta will start flying the Bombardier CRJ 900's and Frontier which starts flying next month will use the Embraer 170's which seat up to 78. This move comes about because local flights are at or near full capacity.

I fly quite a bit out of Metro and getting on the flight you want can be tough sometimes because many are sold out. Happy to read that they will use larger jets. Life will be great when we can get more 737's in and out of here.

[hagetaka]

Has JetBlue decided to fly out of Metro yet? They had a contest going on a few months ago based on votes. Not sure if Baton Rouge had enough to make the list.

[drew6974]

Has JetBlue decided to fly out of Metro yet? They had a contest going on a few months ago based on votes. Not sure if Baton Rouge had enough to make the list.

Actually, that was AirTran and BTR did not get selected however, the airport director said that talks were underway with at least one other discount carrier, possibly two and they would offer more discount flights to points east, whereas Frontier will mainly be for flights west. Word is that there's a good chance that AirTran will be one of the new airlines coming here.

[drew6974]

Frontier Airlines started new service to Baton Rouge today offering two round trip flights to Denver for $99 and $129 flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco and other points west.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/9154236.html

[drew6974]

Two interesting videos from WBRZ on the new Frontier Airline service to BTR including interviews with the vice president of Frontier and Mayor Kip Holden. Also discussing possible additional services down the road.

http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate/08152007-6.html

http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate/08152007-4.html

[richyb83]

Thanks for the update drew. This is good for BR Metro Airport! 9 new city's "non-stop"!

[byrde]

This is a good day for BR.

[byrde]

I am a firm believer in using my hometown airport but I have something I need to vent about. I have to go to Houston in early October for a meeting with one of our customers. Well we have several direct flights from BR to Houston so I figured it would be an easy deal. Won't even need a hotel room. Meeting is from 11:00am to 3:00pm. I get on Continental.com and they want $812.00 for a round trip ticket. Checked the exact same times out of N.O. and they want $168.00. How can we continue to grow business in this town with these kinds of prices???

[richyb83]

That sucks!!! What's up with that??? Whhy such a tremendous difference in $price$??

[yis2003yis]

That sucks!!! What's up with that??? Whhy such a tremendous difference in $price$??

it's been like that since i was a kid...

[byrde]

it's been like that since i was a kid...

No it has not. Flights out of N.O. are normally cheaper, but a 600.00 difference is crazy.

[twstdndmntd]

I am a firm believer in using my hometown airport but I have something I need to vent about. I have to go to Houston in early October for a meeting with one of our customers. Well we have several direct flights from BR to Houston so I figured it would be an easy deal. Won't even need a hotel room. Meeting is from 11:00am to 3:00pm. I get on Continental.com and they want $812.00 for a round trip ticket. Checked the exact same times out of N.O. and they want $168.00. How can we continue to grow business in this town with these kinds of prices???

Bryde, that is just crazy. I sure hope you didn't pay that. When we flew to Boston, we didn't fly out of BR because of the fact that the tickets were so much more expensive. But mind you we still had the same lay-over in Atlanta. My partner tho, always flies out of BR. He says he'll pay the extra money for not having to drive to NOLA, course the price difference has NEVER been $600. I agree we will have a hard time with growing more business here as long as it is going to be that expensive to fly in and out of BR. Does anyone know how much the tickets are going for, for the new carrier going to Denver?

[drew6974]

No it has not. Flights out of N.O. are normally cheaper, but a 600.00 difference is crazy.

BTR has historically had somewhat higher prices than MSY although like you say, that is a very extreme example. Usually when you factor in gas, parking and other expenses, BTR is usually at least competetive if not actually cheaper. BTR has historically been at a disadvantage to MSY because of the large population difference in Baton Rouge and New Orleans which is only 90 minutes away. This situation is changing if it hasn't changed already. Only the 2010 census will tell for sure and all of the estimates coming out, are just guesses, and guesses with an agenda at that so I wouldn't put much stock in them. The two cities are pretty equal in population at any rate and the airline service between the two will be more evenly split in the future.

Another factor that has hurt BTR is the lack of discount airlines. This too is changing with the arrival of Frontier bringing discount flights out west and hopefully soon, other discount airlines will take a look at BTR and realize that a lot of traffic flying into and out of MSY is Baton Rouge area people and they will begin service here. Mayor Holden and Anthony Marrino have both said that at least one, possibly more discount airlines are on the way. We'll see.

One more thing. If an airline is asking $800 for a flight in BR that they can only sell for 200 or less in NO, it shows that there is a lot of pent up demand in BR if they think someone will pay that much and they must or they wouldn't be asking it. The airline are in the business of filling seats. We need more seats flying into and out of BTR, and we will get them.

Edited August 23, 2007 by drew6974

[richyb83]

I'm guessing that BOTH metro areas population; NOLA is still 3:2 ratio more people than BR??

[drew6974]

I'm guessing that BOTH metro areas population; NOLA is still 3:2 ratio more people than BR??

That's a guess. No one will know until the census comes but New Orleans has been losing population since the early sixties and BR has been growing, sometimes slowly, sometimes at a quicker pace. Even if the 3:2 ratio is true, the number of flights that MSY has compared to BTR is much more than 3:2 and this discrepancy will even out over time.

[twstdndmntd]

I think MSY will always do more in flights than BTR simply b/c NOLA has alot more business, conventions, and tourist going there. Even with the staggering buisness, convention and tourist post-Katrina there is still more of a demand to go there than here to BR. Not to mention MSY has international flights coming in, which is something I don't ever see BR having. As far as population, who knows whats going on with that. According to USPS, EBR only gained a little more than 13K people and the metro only gained roughly 20K. I think both those figures are wrong. If EBR only gained 13K, where are all the people that lived in NOLA pre-Katrina. They even said that Houston only gained approx. 20K. I KNOW not all the other people have moved back to NOLA. NOLA simply doesn't have enough housing. I believe in the end BR and NOLA will end up with about the same amount of population. Possibly with NOLA having a very slight edge over us.

[drew6974]

I think MSY will always do more in flights than BTR simply b/c NOLA has alot more business, conventions, and tourist going there. Even with the staggering buisness, convention and tourist post-Katrina there is still more of a demand to go there than here to BR. Not to mention MSY has international flights coming in, which is something I don't ever see BR having. As far as population, who knows whats going on with that. According to USPS, EBR only gained a little more than 13K people and the metro only gained roughly 20K. I think both those figures are wrong. If EBR only gained 13K, where are all the people that lived in NOLA pre-Katrina. They even said that Houston only gained approx. 20K. I KNOW not all the other people have moved back to NOLA. NOLA simply doesn't have enough housing. I believe in the end BR and NOLA will end up with about the same amount of population. Possibly with NOLA having a very slight edge over us.

Actually, the only international flights I ever remember MSY having was flights to Central America and those stopped years ago. There are no regularly scheduled international air carrier flights into MSY.

[twstdndmntd]

Actually, the only international flights I ever remember MSY having was flights to Central America and those stopped years ago. There are no regularly scheduled international air carrier flights into MSY.

Really? Wow I thought for sure they still had international flights going to and from S. America and Central America. Goes to show you how much I pay attention. I didn't even notice that last year when we went to Boston LOL. In that case stratch that portion of my comment. LOL

[byrde]

Bryde, that is just crazy. I sure hope you didn't pay that. When we flew to Boston, we didn't fly out of BR because of the fact that the tickets were so much more expensive. But mind you we still had the same lay-over in Atlanta. My partner tho, always flies out of BR. He says he'll pay the extra money for not having to drive to NOLA, course the price difference has NEVER been $600. I agree we will have a hard time with growing more business here as long as it is going to be that expensive to fly in and out of BR. Does anyone know how much the tickets are going for, for the new carrier going to Denver?

Like your friend, I always fly out of BTR unless I'm going to Birmingham. (I use southwest for that trip). I have to be saving better than 100.00 per ticket before I fly out of MSY. I live less than 15 minutes from BTR. I'm not driving an hour and 10 min to MSY to save 40.00 - 60.00 dollars.

I checked ticket prices for the other airports in LA and all are coming in at 812.00 or higher. The same goes for Biloxi, MS and Mobile, AL. Checked Jackson, MS and a flight on Continental comes in at $112.00.

[yis2003yis]

i wasn't sayin that it was a $600 difference when i was a kid.......i was just sayin that since i was a kid we flew out of new orleans most of the times because it would be cheaper....and that sucks....we loose so much business being a college town and having so many students flying in for both schools..but choose N.O. airport because of the prices