Quick take
- Louisiana DOTD named Shreveport Regional Airport the 2026 Commercial Service Airport of the Year, the City of Shreveport announced Oct. 27.
- Stacy Kuba, deputy director of airports for the Shreveport Airport Authority, was named Louisiana’s 2026 Aviation Professional of the Year after 20 years in aviation.
- The awards came at the Louisiana Airport Managers and Associates conference in New Orleans. Airport officials were also meeting there with the FAA about more federal grant money for the air traffic control tower project.
- The Linwood elevated water tank near I-49 and Flournoy Lucas Road, with its ‘SHV LOVE’ design, was chosen for TNEMEC’s 2027 calendar of water tank projects, KTBS and KTAL reported.
- The tower is part of a roughly $7 million effort to rehabilitate three of the city’s elevated water tanks, the city said when it announced the project in 2024.
Shreveport picked up two pieces of recognition this week, one for its airport and one for a water tower a lot of drivers see from I-49.
Airport of the year
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development named Shreveport Regional Airport the 2026 Commercial Service Airport of the Year, the City of Shreveport announced Oct. 27. Stacy Kuba, deputy director of airports for the Shreveport Airport Authority, was named Louisiana’s 2026 Aviation Professional of the Year, recognizing 20 years in the aviation industry.
“These awards are a tremendous honor for Shreveport and a reflection of the hard work taking place at our airports,” Mayor Tom Arceneaux said in the release.
The awards were announced at the Louisiana Airport Managers and Associates annual conference in New Orleans. The city says airport authority leaders were also meeting there with the Federal Aviation Administration. They were asking about more federal grant money for the airport’s air traffic control tower project.
‘SHV LOVE’ tower goes national
The Linwood elevated water tank, near Interstate 49 and Flournoy Lucas Road, was selected for TNEMEC’s 2027 calendar, which features water tank projects from around the country, KTAL reported. The artwork, “City on the Red,” by artist Terri Rhodes White, was picked through a public art contest run by the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, KTBS reported. It uses the airport code SHV and nods to the Red River, with a Morse code message spelling “SHV LOVE” around the top.
The tank was chosen in a competitive process, KTAL reported, citing the city’s Water and Sewer Department. It is part of a roughly $7 million project to fix up three elevated water tanks, the city said when it announced the art designs in 2024. The work includes structural repairs, new coatings and electrical upgrades. The West Shreveport tank along I-20, known as The Rose Tower, is already done, and work on the St. Vincent tank is set to start this fall, KTBS reported.
Sources
- City of Shreveport: SHV Named Louisiana's 2026 Commercial Service Airport of the Year (Oct. 27, 2026)
- KSLA: Shreveport Regional Airport named Louisiana’s 2026 Commercial Service Airport of the Year (Oct. 27, 2026)
- KTAL/KMSS: Linwood water tank selected for prestigious national showcase (Oct. 29, 2026)
- KTBS: Shreveport water tower earns national calendar spot (Oct. 26, 2026)
- City of Shreveport: Winners of Water Tower Art Design Contest (July 30, 2024)