New Orleans Int’l Shares its Super Bowl Playbook

When the city of New Orleans was selected to host Super Bowl LIX, the pressure was on for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY). It faced the monumental task of creating a positive experience from touchdown to takeoff for tens of thousands of extra passengers, in a facility built to handle far fewer.

Ultimately, the airport experienced its busiest day ever when more than 43,000 passengers departed on Feb. 10, the Monday after the game. Airport leaders are proud of how their team performed.

“Our overall approach to customer service over the past several years really positioned us with some more focus in certain critical areas to be pretty well prepared for Super Bowl,” explains MSY Director of Aviation Kevin Dolliole.

When planning began nearly 18 months in advance, the goal wasn’t just to scale up for extra passenger volume. It was to elevate the entire experience at MSY.

The strategy to do so included event-specific customer service training, proactive facility maintenance and activating a Super Bowl Committee with members from across the airport. Preparing early and prioritizing customer service were identified as key objectives.

Dolliole notes that MSY was already accustomed to handling traffic surges for Mardi Gras, the French Quarter Festival, Jazz Fest and major conventions. Although Super Bowl LIX elevated that pressure significantly, airport staff didn’t have to shift from quiet operations to a massive surge.

That experience combined with extra planning and preparations earned MSY glowing feedback from travelers and staff alike.

Existing Assets

Scheduling Super Bowl LIX included more twists and turns than usual. In May 2018, the NFL announced that Super Bowl LVIII would be held in New Orleans; however, when its season was expanded to 17 games, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation worked with the NFL to delay their hosting one year because Super Bowl LVIII would be held Feb. 11, 2024, just three days before Mardis Gras—far too close together for such large events. In October 2020, the NFL announced it was moving Super Bowl LVIII to Las Vegas and awarding Super Bowl LIX to New Orleans instead, as Mardi Gras was not until March 4 in 2025.

In fall 2019, the airport had opened its new terminal with common-use ticket counters and gates to help meet surges in capacity. More recently, MSY added gate use automation to enhance its ability to schedule and adapt gate assignments, which is especially valuable on busy travel days.

Other technology supports facility maintenance, including a system that allows passengers to report the need for cleaning and/or restocking supplies in restrooms. The system also allows management to track janitorial presence and performance, creating a solid foundation that can be scaled up during major events like a Super Bowl.

Having technology in place and baseline standards already established helped employees perform under demanding conditions. “Super Bowl is a heavy lift, for sure. But when you’re talking it and training it and doing it every day, and everybody knows what your expectations are every day, you stretch staff—but you’re not breaking them,” explains MSY Deputy Director of Customer Service Michelle Wilcut.

The switch to in-house janitorial crews occurred five years ago, soon after the new terminal opened. Before then, MSY had relied on outsourced contracts awarded to the lowest bidder. However, enforcing vendor qualifications was difficult, and cleaning standards sometimes suffered. These days, airport employees perform janitorial functions, and a staffing agency supplies the workforce.

Confluence Solutions developed the new janitorial operations program, working alongside Airport Janitorial Manager Louis Harvey. “We just spent a billion dollars building a new terminal; let’s keep it up,” is how Scott Murray, chief executive officer of Confluence Solutions, explains the strategy.

Murray added training programs, operational systems and accountability structures for the in-house Janitorial Department. Ever since, MSY has seen a dramatic improvement in its ACI Airport Service Quality rankings, rising from near the bottom of its size category to the top for four consecutive years. Murray attributes the remarkable transformation to consistent training and a strong emphasis on employee accountability.

Past Experience, New Strategies

While each Super Bowl is unique, this was the 11th time New Orleans has hosted one. Many members of the MSY team, including some in Airport Operations and others from various airlines, had been involved in managing previous Super Bowl traffic.

Despite that valuable experience, MSY management knew it couldn’t rely on what worked in the past because the event has evolved from a huge weekend game into a weeklong marathon that places pressure on every part of the airport. “You can’t go in overconfident,” Dolliole remarks. “You have to plan for where Super Bowl has moved to.”

To gain insight, MSY Deputy Director Walter Krygowski joined the city’s advance team to visit the 2024 Super Bowl host city, Las Vegas. Meeting with airport leaders there led to key decisions at MSY, such as expanding TSA operations, relocating the rideshare staging area and using its former terminal for charter flights. Each was integrated into the event plan and developed through targeted subcommittees.

During Super Bowl week, the airport effectively ran four simultaneous operations:

• an intensified level of commercial activity in the main terminal,
• a significant increase in private aircraft traffic,
• 33 charter flights for teams and their families, and
• a separate processing area for other charter operations.

The South Campus, which still has usable facilities from the former terminal, provided critical relief by handling screening and processing for many charter passengers. Separating this traffic eased the burden in the main terminal and helped MSY handle the overall increase in volume.

Accommodating the Masses

The airport took a proactive and collaborative approach when preparing for Super Bowl LIX. Planning meetings began several months in advance and included representatives from the airlines, TSA, concessionaires, janitorial staff and key airport departments. Monthly meetings helped teams anticipate challenges and coordinate potential responses.

To help ready facilities, MSY conducted extensive pre-event inspections and performed preventative maintenance. Suppliers checked the working condition of soap dispensers, plumbers serviced sewer lift stations to prevent potential backups, and crews dusted high areas in concessions spaces.

The shared mission was to have facilities in peak condition for the impending influx of travelers. “Everybody was very hyper-focused on making sure we’re putting our best foot forward all the time,” Wilcut remarks. “It was just making sure that we all did our job prior to the game.”

The airport had several strategies to keep travelers flowing through the terminal over the days surrounding Super Bowl LIX—especially on Monday after the Sunday evening game. The TSA checkpoint operated around the clock to accommodate passengers arriving at all hours, and concessionaires extended their schedules accordingly.

Wilcut reports that the baggage handling system performed exceptionally well during the extra busy week. “We’re very proactive on our maintenance, especially since moving into this new facility,” she explains. “We want the facility to continue to perform efficiently while looking great.”

Landside, one challenge was adjusting to the shift away from shared shuttles—a service that was popular pre-COVID but hasn’t rebounded. Traffic volume at the airport has increased dramatically because travelers now often take separate rideshare vehicles or taxis to a given hotel instead of sharing one larger shuttle. Anticipating that the terminal’s existing pickup zone for rideshare vehicles could get overwhelmed, MSY established a second, larger staging area in a nearby parking garage. Although traffic moved slowly at times, the dual-zone approach prevented gridlock. “If we had not done that, we would have been totally overwhelmed in our normal operation,” says Dolliole. “After watching that, I’m thankful we called that shot and planned it out ahead of time.”

Janitorial Prep

The airport tapped every resource at its disposal to keep facilities clean and systems operating properly during the extended Super Bowl deluge. All maintenance and janitorial staff were scheduled, many working overtime. As janitorial manager, Harvey managed the schedules and ensured all shifts were covered.

Each supervisor was assigned to a specific concourse for prompt response to spills, plumbing issues and other common mishaps. “They were right there, and if there was a problem, they could immediately go and resolve it quickly,” Murray explains.

This hands-on strategy helped maintain cleanliness and service quality, he reports. “The best compliments came from other people who worked in the airport,” Murray recalls, noting that management was quick to thank frontline janitorial staff for their speedy responses.

PHOTO: LOUIS ARMSTRONG NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT JANITORIAL DEPT

The department also modified its use of Restroom Alert, the system that allows guests to report maintenance issues. Personnel adjusted the notification system to ensure notifications were received quickly so issues could be resolved in real time.

Management used the ConnectTeam platform to monitor cleaning performance throughout the day and verify that assigned tasks were completed on schedule. Before Super Bowl week, workers performed deep cleaning in concessions areas, restrooms, etc., to provide a fresh start to the week-long event.

Training for Service Challenges

Many travelers attending the big game would arrive at the airport exhausted and/or irritable, and some even slept overnight in the terminal to avoid expensive hotel stays. Thinking ahead, the airport provided employees with customer service training to handle this unique dynamic with empathy and professionalism.

Murray created a curriculum specifically for janitorial workers. Content included scripts for what they should say to customers and each other, with translated versions for staff with limited English proficiency.

Training emphasized that the airport is visitors’ first impression when they land and the last before they fly out. “This is how they’re going to judge New Orleans,” Murray explains. “Customer service was just a huge part of this for everybody.”

His program for supervisors addresses how they should engage with employees throughout each day. That training began in mid-2024, so effective communication could become second nature before Super Bowl week in February.

Supervisors are instructed to begin each shift by greeting employees and checking on their well-being. Within the first hour, they are also expected to ask team members a key question: “Do you have everything you need to succeed?” This is designed to foster a sense of accountability and create a supportive, proactive workplace culture. Including the phrase “to succeed” encourages employees to take ownership of their performance, Murray explains.

After the initial check-in, supervisors are counseled to have four more interactions with each employee, every day. Murray reports that establishing the routine of regular engagement helped employees communicate comfortably with their supervisors (and vice versa) during the extra stressful Super Bowl week.

Solid Stats

A variety of stakeholders pitched in to help prepare for the demanding stretch. Airlines added flights with more than 546,000 seats between Feb. 2 and 11. TSA brought in an additional 100 screening officers and boosted use of K9 teams and federal air marshals.

The airport had anticipated up to 30,000 passengers on Monday after the game for Super Bowl LIX; however, it set a new record that day by processing more than 43,188 departing passengers (about double the amount of previous other busy days). Despite record volumes, management reports that operations ran smoothly that day. TSA processed 88% of travelers in less than 15 minutes, aided by the 24-hour checkpoint, additional staff from partner agencies and round-the-clock support from volunteers, airlines and concessionaires to keep travelers flowing.

In addition to the spike in commercial passengers, MSY experienced a major influx of private aircraft—871 general aviation operations over four days. An expanded apron space, NFL’s reservation system and FAA support made the traffic increase tenable.

Landside, transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft provided 25,517 trips from the airport Feb. 7 through 14, a 40% bump to the usual volume. In addition, there were 10,617 taxi trips during the same period—a dramatic increase compared to the 1,500 airport pickups during an average week.

Following Super Bowl LIX, many travelers shared positive feedback about their experiences at MSY. Murray reports that guests praised the airport’s cleanliness, with many noting that restrooms and facilities were among the cleanest they had ever encountered. The outpouring of appreciation affirmed that efforts to deliver a smooth and pleasant experience during an exceptionally busy time had not gone unnoticed.

From a commercial standpoint, Dolliole notes that the surge in passenger traffic led to significant increases in food, retail and advertising revenue, with specialty inventory selling out and overall earnings far exceeding typical levels. Although the increased traffic stressed every part of the facility—from airside to landside—proactive planning and collaboration ensured success, he adds.

The entire airport got into the spirit. (Photo: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport)

Go Team!

To elevate fans’ experience from the moment they arrived, MSY partnered with the NFL to install Super Bowl–themed signage throughout the terminal. Lively decorations, welcoming messages and extra wayfinding cues were prioritized since the terminal would be the first and last touchpoint for most visitors.

The airport created a festive arrival experience with music and pop-up shops selling Super Bowl merchandise. Its standard live music program was expanded with additional performances by local musicians on three stages inside the terminal. The Friday before game day, travelers were greeted by a DJ, a violinist, pop-up concession stands, merchandise booths, games and giveaways such as mini footballs. “It really helped create this big ‘wow’ welcome experience for passengers,” says MSY Director of Communications and Marketing Erin Burns.

In collaboration with the Super Bowl Host Committee, Chevron Ambassadors (named after the oil and gas company that sponsored them) worked more than 600 volunteer shifts at the airport—greeting visitors, handing out Mardi Gras beads and dispensing local information. They provided crucial support to MSY’s usual customer service team and other airport staff performing frontline duties.

In addition to making visitors feel welcome and excited for the big game, MSY energized its employees by introducing a new logo, distributing branded swag and holding a pep rally before the Super Bowl traffic started arriving. “This was an opportunity for airport employees to get together, celebrate all the hard work they had done thus far, and get ready to put our best foot forward as we were preparing to host thousands of visitors for the game,” Dolliole remarks.

Local Spirit and Culture

Super Bowl LIX showcased the city’s hospitality and event-hosting expertise.

“Here in New Orleans, it’s what we do,” says Jay Cicero, president and chief executive officer of the New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Host Committee and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.

A traditional second-line parade—complete with brass bands, percussion and dancers in ornate costumes—delivered the Lombardi Trophy to the French Quarter, and the pregame entertainment featured an all-Louisiana lineup with Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty, Ledisi and Harry Connick, Jr.

In addition, a breathtaking light show was created with the NFL and local organizations. “The digital mapping and lighting of the St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo and the Presbytère highlighted New Orleans’ rich history and culture, making a lasting impact on visitors and breaking records in the process,” says Cicero.

Avoiding Fumbles

In retrospect, no single issue or incident during Super Bowl week stands out for airport leaders. The true challenge was its sheer scale, because every aspect of operations was affected. The greatest difficulty, they say, was ensuring that planning efforts reached across all departments and partners.

Even so, accommodating Super Bowl traffic involves everything from black car VIP service to making sure bag handlers put luggage on the right belts. Small details are important in supporting the overall customer experience. “That whole idea is central to everything that we’re doing,” Burns comments.

Despite its experience hosting large events, the city faced an added challenge for Super Bowl LIX when a terrorist attack occurred in New Orleans on January 1. “It took a high level of coordination with the NFL and our local, state and federal public safety partners to ensure fans, visitors and locals would have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl experience,” Cicero comments.

Specialty merchandise sold out and concessions revenue far exceeded usual levels.

At the airport, Super Bowl LIX prompted teams to develop new operational contingencies, some of which have been adopted for the long term. For instance, a revised plan for resolving baggage handling system failures is now part of MSY’s official emergency response protocols.

Another adjustment was refining checkpoint flow to prevent overcrowding and provide alternate routes in case of overflow. These changes will undoubtedly increase the airport’s preparedness for high-volume events in the future.

Sharing Strategies

Dolliole advises other airports to plan for more than they expect when preparing for large events like a Super Bowl. “It’s important to have a structured, formalized planning process that engages all of your stakeholders at the airport,” he adds.

Speaking from a customer service standpoint, Wilcut emphasizes that unexpected issues are inevitable. “It’s a matter of having that contingency plan in place and empowering staff to be able to pivot and make adjustments in your operation,” she says. For example, when an employee critical to traffic control became unavailable just before Super Bowl week, other personnel had to adjust quickly. Frontline workers were trusted to make decisions and implement small operational shifts as needed to maintain smooth operations.

Murray, of Confluence Solutions, highlights the value of including all airport departments in early planning. “Everybody worked together great, and getting everybody involved was clearly what made it successful for us,” he remarks.

“I’m proud of how the city handled the Super Bowl overall,” Dolliole reflects. “I’m glad we were another positive in the overall operation.”

Forward Progress

Super Bowl LIX happened to coincide with MSY’s ongoing 20-year master planning process. The associated surges in passenger traffic the airport experienced provided data to compare against projected forecasts, providing a preview of how future growth might impact the facility.

Firsthand insight into how high passenger volume affected operations will likely inform future infrastructure planning. “You really see the difference between the modeling and the actual true activity,” Dolliole shares. “We got a really good peek at the next 20 years.”

The airport’s long-term master planning process will guide capital investments over the next five to 10 years. In the meantime, a smaller capital improvement program is already underway including entry signage, a campus connector road and an enhanced curb canopy.