Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is configured with 1 passenger terminal(s) divided into 3 concourse(s). The exact letter naming and gate ranges vary by airline assignment, but the layout follows the same logic at every concourse: ticketing and bag drop on the upper level, baggage claim on the lower level, and security screening positioned between the landside and airside zones.

At MSY, Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier. Hub airlines tend to occupy the largest contiguous block of gates because their connection-bank scheduling requires aircraft to be parked near each other so passengers can clear short minimum-connect-times. The current published assignments are summarized below; airlines occasionally swap concourses during construction projects or major schedule changes, so confirm against your boarding pass before parking.

Airline-to-terminal assignments

  • Southwest Airlines — operates the largest gate footprint and most frequent connection banks.

Walking the terminal

Inside security, expect a typical post-screening walk of five to twelve minutes from the central hall to the farthest gate, depending on which concourse you are flying from. Moving walkways shorten the longest segments. Airport maps are posted at every concourse intersection, and the airport's wayfinding signs use distance-to-gate information rather than just direction so you can pace yourself.

If you are connecting at MSY, the gate-to-gate transfer time depends on whether your inbound and outbound flights are on the same concourse. Same-concourse connections are usually under ten minutes, while cross-terminal connections may require a shuttle bus, an inter-terminal train, or an airside walking tunnel. Hub-airline passengers connecting on the same carrier almost always stay airside.

Security checkpoints and TSA PreCheck

Each terminal at MSY operates dedicated TSA security checkpoints. PreCheck and Clear lanes are open during peak departure banks and consolidated during overnight hours. Wait times are posted at the terminal entrance and through the MyTSA app. Passengers without PreCheck should arrive a minimum of 90 minutes before a domestic departure and 2.5 hours before an international flight. During school holidays and convention weeks, queue times can balloon — give yourself an extra 30 minutes on a Monday morning in either case.

International arrivals and CBP

International flights into MSY clear US Customs and Border Protection in the federal inspection facility associated with their arrival concourse. Global Entry kiosks and Mobile Passport Control are available; expect 15 to 45 minutes from gate to curb during normal arrival banks and substantially longer when multiple wide-bodies arrive within the same 30-minute window.

Inter-terminal connections

If your itinerary requires changing terminals at MSY, leave the secure area, take the inter-terminal transit (bus, train, or walkway depending on configuration), and re-clear security on the other side unless your airline operates a dedicated airside connector. Allow at least 60 minutes for an inter-terminal connection on the same airline and 90 minutes for a connection between separate airlines that does not include checked-baggage protection.