Dow shuttles engineers from Gulf platform to Baton Rouge ahead of ethylene cracker upgrade

Dow flew a Bombardier CRJ-900 from an offshore Gulf platform to Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on June 2, a 44-minute hop that landed a team of engineers and executives at the company's largest manufacturing site. The flight, operated by tail N892D, originated near the Louisiana coast—likely one of Dow's Gulf of Mexico production platforms.

The trip coincides with the start of pre-construction work on a $1.5 billion ethylene cracker upgrade at Dow's Plaquemine plant, as reported by Chemical Week on June 1. The expansion will add 1.2 million metric tons of annual capacity and is part of Dow's broader push to meet growing demand for packaging and industrial chemicals. A Dow spokesperson confirmed the investment in May, noting the project would create 500 construction jobs.

The Baton Rouge-area complex is a frequent destination for Dow's corporate shuttle fleet. Over the past week, N892D has made at least five trips between Midland, Houston, and Baton Rouge, consistent with the company's practice of moving large engineering teams between manufacturing sites for major projects.