Today, we're releasing New Orleans Lakefront Airport (KNEW) for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

But this airport wasn't simply chosen by us.

KNEW was suggested and voted for by the flight simulation community on our Discord server, where it quickly emerged as one of the most wanted airports in the community vote. We listened to that feedback, and the result is now ready to fly.

From a Discord vote to the simulator

When we asked our community which airport they wanted to see next, New Orleans Lakefront Airport stood out following EBCI Charleroi Brussels Airport. It wasn't necessarily the most obvious choice. It isn't one of the world's biggest international hubs, nor is it an airport most simmers would immediately put on their wish list.

But that was exactly what made it interesting.

KNEW has character.

Located on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, just minutes from downtown New Orleans, Lakefront Airport combines a distinctive waterfront setting with a rich aviation history. The airport opened in 1934 as Shushan Airport, during the golden age of aviation, and was originally envisioned as "The Air Hub of the Americas."

Its history is remarkable. Amelia Earhart stopped at Lakefront Airport during her transatlantic journey, while the airport's Art Deco terminal became one of its defining landmarks. The airport later served as a Cold War-era fallout shelter and suffered extensive flooding during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. After major restoration work, the historic terminal was rededicated in 2013.

Today, KNEW remains an active airport serving general aviation, business aviation and air-taxi operations. Its location, three-runway layout and proximity to New Orleans make it an excellent destination for everything from short GA flights to more demanding business aviation operations.

Built for the way you fly

For us, creating KNEW was about more than reproducing runways and buildings. We wanted to capture the airport's distinctive character and give the community the environment they voted for.

The scenery includes:

• Native compatibility with MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024
• High-detail 3D building models
• High-resolution PBR textures
• Custom ground polygon
• Multiple parking areas for AI traffic
• Realistic night lighting
• Detailed recreation of New Orleans Lakefront Airport and its airport environment

Whether you're departing for a sightseeing flight over New Orleans, operating a business aircraft, or setting up AI traffic around the field, KNEW offers a very different experience from the major international airports.

Your airport, your vote

One of the things we value most about developing for the flight simulation community is the direct connection with the people who actually use our products.

KNEW is a good example of that.

You asked for it. You voted for it. It became one of the most wanted airports in our community and we turned that request into a product.

So today, we're handing the airport back to you.

New Orleans Lakefront Airport is available now for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024.

You can get KNEW from the Propair Flight webshop, as well as other third-party webshops.

See you at Lakefront. ✈️