PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – Southwest Airlines today announced that it will launch weekly nonstop flights from Long Beach Airport (LGB) to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) on a seasonal basis from January 8 through the end of March 2023, just in time for Mardi Gras season. Tickets are available now at Southwest.com. 

“As passenger traffic continues to get back to pre-pandemic levels it’s great to see Southwest connecting more travelers to new destinations,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Long Beach Airport offers one of the best travel experiences around the country, and I’m so glad to see the expansion of our operations.”

Southwest’s flights to New Orleans—utilizing the airline’s Boeing 737 fleet—will depart LGB at 12:30 p.m. on Sundays and arrive at MSY at 6 p.m. The return flight departs MSY at 4:55 p.m. and arrives back at LGB at 7:15 p.m. In addition to the new Sunday flights, Southwest offers daily service throughout the year between Long Beach and New Orleans through the airline’s point-to-point network.

“We welcome Southwest adding this Sunday shortcut from our award-winning airport to the Big Easy, giving travelers more convenient options,” said Airport Director Cynthia Guidry.

Southwest Airlines first began service from LGB in 2016 and has continued to increase its presence at the Airport since then. Of the 53 daily flight slots available at Long Beach’s noise-controlled airport, Southwest currently holds a majority, with a total of 38.

Including New Orleans, the Dallas-based airline will now fly nonstop to 16 U.S. cities from LGB.

In addition to Southwest’s flight slots, Delta Air Lines holds seven, American Airlines holds four, Hawaiian Airlines has two and Breeze Airways and UPS each have one.

Long Beach Airport will now offer nonstop service to 17 destinations across the nation, including Hawaii. Learn more at lgb.org/destinations.

About the City of Long Beach 
Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly rated school district, Long Beach Airport and the Port of Long Beach. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas and bike paths.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Long Beach Airport 
Founded in 1923, Long Beach Airport (LGB) is the oldest airport in California. Among its many awards, LGB was named a Top 10 airport in the 2020 USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice travel award contest for Best Small Airport. LGB offers non-stop service to several U.S. cities while supporting a healthy general aviation community with more than 300,000 annual operations. The airport is also a source of substantial economic activity and employment, with the LGB Aviation Complex generating $8.6 billion in economic impact and supporting 46,000 jobs. LGB is a self-supporting enterprise of the City of Long Beach and does not receive local tax dollars. The Airport prides itself in preserving its esteemed historic legacy and maintaining a safe, sustainable, and environmentally responsible operation. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @LGBAirport.