New Orleans: Strong aviation growth, tourism and new tech businesses

NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT has set passenger growth records for three consecutive years, and 2018 is shaping up to be another strong year as new service additions in 2017 and 2018 continue to fuel increases in passenger throughput.

The airport has secured a raft of new services during the past couple of years, including long haul service from British Airways, which operates five times weekly to Louis Armstrong International from London Heathrow. Southwest Airlines, which is New Orleans' largest operator, is also bolstering its footprint from the airport in 2018 with new flights to Sacramento, San Jose and New York LaGuardia.

Although tourism continues to drive a significant proportion of New Orleans' economy, the city is joining other US metropolitan areas to attract technology companies in order to attain a level of economic diversity, and ensure that it garners its share of the economic gains driven by the tech industry.