This week, City Council is expected to consider four items related to the expansion of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, with nearly $2 billion in spending up for approval by the end of September. The four contracts on Thursday’s agenda total $190 million in potential spending, with the largest being up to $120 million for a contract […]
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Run by the city, the Austin–Bergstrom International Airport is located on the old site of Bergstrom Air Force Base it opened to to the public on May 23, 1999.
Posted inTransportation
Seat capacity is down at AUS, but new federal rule entitles travelers to refunds for canceled flights
During the Airport Advisory Commission meeting July 10, Deputy Chief of Air Service Jamy Kazanoff updated commissioners on a slight drop in seat capacity for August – so maybe start booking those late summer vacations now. Plus, when a new federal rule goes into effect in October, travelers will be entitled to full refunds for […]
Posted inTransportation
Airport Advisory Commission accepts FAA grants for airport expansion
On June 12, the Airport Advisory Commission heard a slew of good news from Austin’s Department of Aviation staff. For one of the fastest-growing airports in the nation, a series of improvements are on their way – chief among them, up to $500 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration over the next three […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin airport is getting new runway safety tech that could have prevented near-miss
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will have crucial new runway safety equipment installed by the end of the month. Federal investigators say the technology could have prevented a near-miss between two planes that could have killed 131 people last year. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is wrapping up installation of the equipment that provides air traffic controllers with a […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin’s airport is getting a new concourse and 20 more gates but not until the 2030s
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) is gearing up to add at least 20 new gates, expanding capacity at the overcrowded airport as it struggles to serve millions more passengers each year than it was designed to handle. The planned gates will be located inside a newly constructed building – temporarily dubbed Concourse B – linked to […]
Posted inCity Hall
Garza appoints new CEO at Austin airport
Interim City Manager Jesús Garza has announced the appointment of Ghizlane Badawi as the interim chief executive officer for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Badawi has worked in a variety of leadership roles at ABIA over the past 15 years. She has most recently served as deputy CEO, focusing on operational resiliency and expanding the airport’s infrastructure […]
Posted inTransportation
Airport commission hears update on Concourse B and Connector project
In a Jan. 10 presentation at the Airport Advisory Commission’s regular meeting, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport deputy chief development officer Lyn Estabrook gave an update on the Concourse B and Connector Project, part of the airport’s $164 million expansion of the Barbara Jordan Terminal. She showed a map of the overall Airport Expansion and Development Program […]
Posted inTransportation
Weather observers at Austin’s airport have no windows or internet access
Professional weather observers inside the air traffic control tower at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) have no windows or internet access to check the weather radar, satellite imagery or other conditions across the region, according to federal documents. The weather observers – who play a vital role in the nation’s aviation system by serving as a […]
Posted inTransportation
Doggett urges further federal action on airport safety
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett continues to ring the alarm about safety concerns at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and across the country as the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure grapples with a staffing shortage that has resulted in hundreds of near-miss incidents between aircraft on airport runways. On Thursday, Doggett released a statement regarding the publication […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin near-miss incident subject of discussion at U.S. Senate hearing on nationwide airport safety “crisis”
February’s near-miss incident at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was the subject of discussion at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing last week on nationwide airport safety concerns. Aviation industry executives and government officials testified on how to improve safety at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin airport’s safety is under scrutiny after a string of near misses
A disturbing string of dangerous incidents at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport – including near misses and two tarmac deaths this year – has elected officials clashing with city staff over safety at an airport where passenger volumes have more than doubled in the last decade. Now, some of those frustrations are boiling into public view. City […]
Posted inTransportation
A campaign is underway to rename Austin’s airport after LBJ
Could Austin’s gateway to the world be renamed after a Texas political titan? Yes, if the LBJ Foundation has anything to say about it. The Austin organization has quietly begun a campaign to rename Austin-Bergstrom International Airport after President Lyndon Baines Johnson – a shrewd politician from the Hill Country whose mixed legacy includes helping pass […]