Story ID: 
Louisiana Airport Debuts First Transient Hangar
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport has followed up a runway expansion program with the new self-funded hangar.
Word Count: 223
The Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport has just opened the first transient hangar at the port-operated FBO. Construction on the 6,363-sq-ft structure, which can accommodate aircraft up to a Cessna Citation Sovereign, began in summer 2016 as a self-funded $739,000 project. “It’s the first hangar constructed on the airfield that is operated by the Port of South Louisiana, which is why it is affectionately referred to as 'Hangar 1,'” said airport director Vincent Caire, adding that the other hangars on the field are privately owned.

Located in Reserve, Louisiana, north of New Orleans, near one of the nation’s busiest cargo ports, the airport was acquired by the Port Authority in 2009, and since then has undergone a runway expansion, to 5,150 feet, with a parallel taxiway and new lighting system and AWOS.

“The commemoration of the new hangar represents the Port of South Louisiana’s commitment to making the Executive Regional Airport a full-service airport,” noted Paul Aucoin, the port’s executive director. “The hangar, along with our other improvements, allows us to be very competitive and we will continue to make additional improvements to attract more aircraft.”

According to Caire, the Port is eyeing further expansion of the runway to accommodate large-cabin business jets, as well as an even larger hangar to shelter them.