There was little time for talking in the office of Addie Fanguy, division manager for Million Air NEW, as the onslaught of Super Bowl traffic began arriving on Friday, February 1. Battling slot restrictions and constricting temporary flight restrictions, the New Orleans Lakefront Airport facility was prepared to take on the challenges and coordinated effort such large events require. Just over one month before the Super Bowl, the NEW tarmac was home to the NBAA 2001 Convention static display and Million Air’s hangar housed a Bombardier Continental. With the city of New Orleans hosting a record nine NFL championship games and opening the millennium with back-to-back NBAA Conventions (2000 and 2001), the ramp crews at NEW have conditioned themselves to the demanding pace.
Above all the chaos, a large picture window on the second level of the FBO’s historic hangar provided a bird’s-eye view of the taxiways and Million Air’s ramp throughout the Super Bowl weekend. Fanguy, a retired New Orleans police officer, took personal charge of coordinating the effort from his temporary command center and meticulously accommodated the 400 or so aircraft that patronized the FBO. Although a number of crews concerned about the TFR and slot restrictions opted for a quick turn and made plans to pick up their passengers at facilities outside the 45-nm ring of restricted airspace, there was still no shortage of aircraft looking for a parking place at NEW. The west seawall taxiway, which extends out into Lake Pontchartrain, was at times four aircraft deep.
More In FBOs
