The Super Bowl is largely considered to be the biggest sporting event in the world. The Super Bowl is the annual league championship between two teams in the National Football League (NFL), the winners of each of the two NFL divisions, the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).
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Historically, the Super Bowl championships have been some of the most popular sporting events in the world. Additionally, the Super Bowl is almost always the most-watched single sporting event in the world. It is also often the most watched broadcast within the United States. According to Nielsen, the 2024 Super Bowl is the most watched telecast of all time, as it brought in an average of over 123 million viewers. Additionally, of the top twenty broadcasts of all time, a Super Bowl championship is 19 of them.
Because the Super Bowl is such a popular event, the city that hosts the Super Bowl, which rotates every year, gets visitors from across the United States. Fans of both competing teams will flock to the city to watch the game. However, football fans of other teams that may not even be playing in the game, still travel to the city to partake in the festivities across the city. Many travelers will fly to the city through public airports, as many airlines increase the frequency of flights to that city around the event. However, private airports also see a significant increase in air traffic.
Photo: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Let’s take a closer look at the private airport that will be getting a significant influx of private jet traffic during this year’s Super Bowl, which is designated Super Bowl LIX. Let’s also take a closer look at the air traffic in general that will be increased around this year’s Super Bowl.
This year’s Super Bowl
This year, the NFL Championship has been designated Super Bowl LIX, or Super Bowl 59. The NFC Champion, the Philadelphia Eagles, will take on the AFC Champion, the Kansas City Chiefs, on February 9. The Eagles will look to avenge their loss two years ago, in 2023, against the Chiefs, when the Eagles lost to the Chiefs 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII. On the other hand, the Chiefs will look to be the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowl Championships, which will bring their total number of Super Bowl Championships to five.
Photo: Marcus E Jones | Shutterstock
This year’s Super Bowl is being held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Caesars Superdome is one of the largest and most popular sporting event venues in the United States. It was originally built in 1975, and it is the largest fixed domed structure in the world. It has hosted seven different Super Bowl championships in the past. It has also hosted five different National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball championships, and it has held the Sugar Bowl, one of the largest bowl games in the NCAA College Football Playoffs, every year since 1975. The Superdome is also home to another NFL team, the New Orleans Saints.
New Orleans, Louisiana, is a popular metropolitan area for large sporting events, specifically due to the proximity of the Caesars Superdome. The historic city is already one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US, specifically due to its extensive history. New Orleans is world-renowned for its distinctive music, its popular seafood and Creole cuisine, and large annual celebrations, such as Mardi Gras. It also has a popular downtown area, known as the French Quarter, which is centered around Bourbon Street. This street is considered one of the most famous streets in the US, specifically due to its vibrant nightlife.
Photo: travelview | Shutterstock
The Super Bowl already brings in countless fans from both of the competing teams. Eagles fans historically travel well and Chiefs fans will certainly travel to New Orleans for their chance to see the first three-peat in NFL history. Additionally, NFL fans across the country will use this opportunity to visit one of the most historic cities in the US.
Because of this, most travelers will fly through the public airport in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY). However, many wealthy travelers, executives, and celebrities will choose to utilize the nearby private airport, Lakefront Airport (NEW), for their travels. Let’s take a closer look at Lakefront Airport, and what it has to offer for private fliers.
About the private airport in New Orleans
As previously mentioned, the main airport that wealthy Super Bowl travelers will utilize is called Lakefront Airport (NEW). The airport is located on the northeastern side of New Orleans, along the famous Lake Pontchartrain. The airport is currently owned by the Orleans Levee District and is operated by the Lakefront Management Authority.
Lakefront Airport is set at an elevation of just seven feet above sea level, and the area of the airport covers about 473 acres. It also operates three different runways, with the following dimensions:
Runway Length (feet) Length (meters) Surface 9/27 3,114 feet 949 meters Asphalt 18L/36R 3,697 feet 1,127 meters Asphalt 18R/36L 6,879 feet 2,0179 meters Asphalt
These large runways allow for a wide variety of aircraft to land on, making it a popular destination for even operators with large ultra-long-range business jets. According to the Airport Master Record, provided by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), a total of 143 different aircraft are currently based at Lakefront Airport. This includes the following types of aircraft:
87 single-engine aircraft
24 twin-engine aircraft
24 jet-powered aircraft
Eight helicopters
According to Fox8, the airport averages about 200 aircraft operations per day. However, as the Super Bowl approaches, airport representatives believe this will double, especially with the influx of private jets and other general aviation aircraft. The airport will most likely bring in many of the NFL owners, along with several celebrities, including Taylor Swift, a popular attendee of Chiefs games. Swift previously flew to Lakefront Airport on her private jet, a Dassault Falcon 7X, for her concerts in New Orleans last fall.
Related What Private Jets Has Taylor Swift Flown? The pop star has owned two private jet models, both of which are by Dassault Aviation.
The Executive Director of Lakefront Airport, Louis Capo, spoke with Fox8 about the anticipated influx of aircraft. Capo stated,
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