Acadiana Regional Airport, New Iberia, LA
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Acadiana Regional Airport (FAA: ARA, ICAO: KARA), New Iberia, LA, is about halfway between Houston and New Orleans and 4 miles NW of downtown New Iberia, LA. This towered, public airport is owned by Iberia Parish and managed by the Iberia Parish Airport Authority. Elevation is 24 ft., and there are two dawn-to-dusk lighted runways as follows:
| Direction | Length in feet | Length in meters | Surface |
| 17/35 | 8,002 x 200 | 2,439 x 60.9 | Concrete |
| 17W/35W | 5,000 x 150 | 1,524 x 45.7 | Water |
The office hours at the Brigadier General Wiltz P. Segura Terminal are M-F 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It has free WiFi, a seating area, airport seating, and a nice covered walkway for entry and exit.
This field is home to the Freeman Jet Center and the Aviation Academy of Louisiana, which is a flight school for both helicopters and airplanes. They also offer aircraft sales, service, and maintenance. Please note: There is intensive helicopter activity at this field, as there is not only training, but a private heliport as well. This field is the Gulf of Mexico headquarters for Bristow, which is a worldwide operator of helicopters for offshore drilling rigs.
Both AV Gas and Jet-A are available. There are hangers, tie-downs, minor airframe, and powerplant services. If you need fuel after hours, call 337-367-1401.
Transportation
Alexander’s Cab or Affordable Taxi seems to be your choice here. There are a couple of good reviews of Alexander’s, but overall, I wouldn’t expect the greatest ride of your life because there are a lot of bad ones. Affordable Taxi has no reviews and is unclaimed on Yelp. Also, no one answers the phone on a Saturday, and it forwards to a “not available” message, so Uber or Lyft might be your best bet.
Dining
The closest restaurants are Landry’s if you go down I-90, or A-Bears Diner if you go down 182; neither is really within walking distance. The top 5 rated places to eat are:
- Duffy’s Diner is a 50s-style diner, offering burgers, dogs, and seafood at great prices.
- Victor’s Cafeteria, for home-style cooking.
- Bon Creole, if you want to taste the south with the likes of gumbo, jambalaya, and Po’boy sandwiches.
- The Seafood Connection, you are right next to the Gulf, so it’s gotta be fresh!
- Caribbean Ice Company for American fast food eats.
Where to Stay
There is a whole cluster of hotels at the crossroads of I-90 and Highway 14. Everything from the Comfort Inn & Suites, the Holiday Inn Express, to the Candlewood Suites, and the Hampton Inn & Suites. There’s also a Super 8, Ramada, Days Inn and Suites, and Quality Suites. Most of these include breakfast. Candlewood has full kitchens, Holiday Inn Express, Ramada, and Hampton Inn all have a pool. Nothing extremely fancy, but plenty of nice places to lay your head down. In the plus category, you would be hard pressed to find a room here with a basic sticker price of over $100.
To compare prices and amenities, go to Expedia.com or Hotels.com.
Things To Do
Explore the historic Rip Van Winkle Gardens, known for its Japanese-inspired gardens and peacocks. Then, visit Shadows-on-the-Teche, a plantation with preserved buildings and a sobering history of slavery.
Check out the local history at the Bayou Teche Museum, featuring George Rodrigue’s artwork. And don’t miss the Konriko Company Store, the oldest operating rice mill in America.
History
This field was previously operated by the U.S. Navy as the Naval Auxiliary Air Station New Iberia and was an advanced flight training base. It was closed as a Navy facility in 1965 and reverted to civilian control. Though no longer under military control, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and NASA still make use of this field.
In Conclusion
Things run a little slower in the south, but man, is the food good. Besides, who says slower is bad?
If you have a suggestion of where we should go next, or have a favorite small airport you’d like us to check out, please let us know. Sign up for our email heads-up about our next adventure at jettreks.com. We do not sell or share your info.
Safe flights and happy landings,
Jo@jettreks.com