BTR re -elected operations on Thursday and send queens to Washington Mardi Gras

Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport allowed aircraft to ease from Thursday morning after setting flights in the last two days due to unprecedented snowfall and winter weather.

A charter aircraft was filled with royalty on the way directly to Washington DC

Festival queens from all over the state flew out of BTR and directly to the country’s capital to the annual Washington Mardi Gras.

“We were going to fly out yesterday … but we were actually snowing in. Some of us arrived here on Monday night, so a little early to try to avoid having to drive through the ice,” Alexis Lee, Queen of the Strawberry Festival said .

The young women serve on Mystick Krewe from the Louisians’ court.

Krewe Senior Lieutenant Mark Ackal says every year 3,000 people fly to DC to the festivities this weekend.

“Of course we have had a number of people to change flights … but the party is still continuing,” Ackal said.

Ackal says this is not the first time Krewe has had to work around cold weather.

“We’ve had a huge blizzard in DC a year a few years ago, and everything went as planned,” Ackal said. “We never expected we would get a blizzard in Louisiana.”

The airport spent hours clearing the runway on Wednesday to return to Business as usual. Fortunately, the queens’ aircraft could lighten right on Thursday morning.

“We just crossed fingers all the time. It was a little hard to sleep because I was just so ready to put myself on this plane and go to DC,” Lee said.

Although they were delayed one day, Ackal says they have not missed much.

“The majority of what happens in DC Mardi Gras begins (Thursday),” Ackal said. “So the timing is perfect for us to be there today.”

Washington Mardi Gras Bal is on Saturday.