Greater New Orleans, Inc., the regional economic alliance, in partnership with the City of New Orleans, announced earlier this month at a press conference with Mayor C. Ray Nagin and officials that an agreement has been signed with AeroMexico to restart international service at Louis Armstrong Airport.
AeroMexico, the global airline of Latin America, plans to launch six weekly, non-stop flights on July 6 between New Orleans and Mexico City, with convenient connecting flights to San Pedro Sula, Honduras on 50-seat ERJ 145 regional jets. The route represents the first new international flight service to be announced for New Orleans since 2005.
Frank Galan, Vice President, U.S. Division, AeroMexico, said, "We're very excited about this opportunity to provide the people of New Orleans, Louisiana and surrounding region with a convenient way to travel to Mexico City with easy connections to Honduras and over 60 destinations in Mexico and around the world. Our decision is a statement about the distinctive service we plan to bring to your city. It also is an expression of our confidence in New Orleans and the tremendous progress you have made since Hurricane Katrina. We believe this is an ideal time to expand the travel opportunities for residents of New Orleans and visitors to your community."
Mayor C. Ray Nagin said, "This new international flight is a major accomplishment as we continue our recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed. It will allow for strengthened business relationships with Mexico, Honduras and Latin America. It will create new tourism opportunities. And it will provide for easier travel for the tens of thousands of our residents who have family ties in these countries. By working together as one community, we are creating a New Orleans that will be better and stronger than ever before."
Numerous partners in the region and state played an integral role in finalizing the deal.
Michael Hecht, president and CEO of GNO, Inc., said "AeroMexico coming to the New Orleans region is significant on many levels: It means that Louis Armstrong Airport is truly international again; it means that the Greater New Orleans region is on its way to reclaiming the mantle of "Gateway to the Americas;" and, it means, that through public-private collaboration, we can make great things happen. The AeroMexico agreement was secured thanks to the vision and efforts of the City of New Orleans and numerous local and state partners, in the public and private sector. Within this group GNO, Inc. played a critical role as a broker and catalyst - ensuring that the discussion progressed, that problems were solved, and that, ultimately, a deal was structured that will benefit all parties, and the Greater New Orleans region as a whole. I congratulate all of the government, economic development and private sector contributors to this important effort."
Louisiana Economic Develop-ment Secretary Stephen Moret said, "Landing the first direct international flight since Hurricane Katrina is a significant milestone with both symbolic and practical value. New Orleans is one of the great cities of the world, yet it is a city that has so much unrealized potential as a center for commerce. Today's announcement represents a terrific step in the right direction, and LED is proud to have supported this exciting initiative. These new flights will strengthen the region's economic foundation by improving the business relationship between Louisiana and Mexico, and by creating new revenue streams for businesses located in the New Orleans region. We salute GNO, Inc. and local and regional leaders who worked together to make this happen."
Sean Hunter, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Director of Aviation, said, "The return of AeroMexico to New Orleans and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is welcomed news and extremely important. The demand for service to the Latin American hemisphere has been increasing, especially with the growing number of Hispanics now living and working in the Gulf South region. The fact that we will now have non-stop service to Mexico City with a very convenient connection to San Pedro Sula means that air service access to almost anywhere in Mexico, Central and South America will now be improved. This return has the potential to reintroduce New Orleans as a partner in commerce to the Latin American nations."
"Mexico visitors always have been a key to our success as an international destination," said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We are grateful to AeroMexico for their commitment and new service, which will make New Orleans even more accessible for business and leisure visitors."
Dr. Ana Hands, Director of International Health Services for Ochsner Health System, said "This service has been desperately needed and will go a long way to help Ochsner's approximately 4,000 international patients and physicians who visit the main campus every year, she said. Ochsner receives most of its international patients from Latin America, specifically Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
"Dr. Ochsner used to travel a lot to these areas so we get generations of the same families coming here for 30 or 40 years," Dr. Hands said. "Before, when we had direct flights, it was a lot easier for them to get here. Now, it will be less complicated and they won't have to fly into Houston and Miami, which is why we've been pushing for international service. Everyone benefits."
This article was originally published in the April 20, 2009 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper |
