The Austin airport is working to improve the experience of passengers with disabilities that aren’t visible. The Airport Advisory Commission heard an update this week about the newly established Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The airport announced the program in April, after news of a potential lawsuit by an ABIA passenger who […]
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 inEnvironment
Airport Advisory, Environmental commissions consider working relationship
The Airport Advisory Commission is considering a resolution this week that would establish a working relationship with the Environmental Commission. The change would allow the Environmental Commission to advise the Airport Advisory Commission on airport projects that may have impacts beyond the boundaries of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. According to the resolution the Airport Advisory Commission […]
Posted inEnvironment
Restoration of wetland impacted by airport jet-fuel storage facility construction site leak nearing completion
Work to remediate a non-toxic mud spill on protected wetland near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will conclude at the end of this month. The spill occurred in September as crews bored a tunnel underneath the airport runway. The Environmental Commission reviewed the status of the cleanup during an April 19 update on the construction of the […]
Posted inTransportation
Construction starts next month on three-gate expansion of ABIA’s Barbara Jordan Terminal
With passenger volumes soaring to new highs, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is getting ready to start construction next month on a $164 million expansion of the Barbara Jordan Terminal. The project will add more than 80,000 square feet of space including: three new gates two relocated gates dining areas for concessionaires additional restrooms a children’s play […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin airport passenger wrongful arrest lawsuit on hold
Attorneys representing an Austin-Bergstrom International Airport passenger, who contends that failure on the part of airline staff and Austin police officers to accommodate her hearing impairment resulted in a wrongful arrest and injury at the Travis County Jail, are in talks with Travis County attorneys. The talks may result in the county avoiding a widely […]
Posted inCity Hall
Former airport CEO had conflict of interest, report shows
Jacqueline Yaft, who recently resigned her job as CEO of the Austin Aviation Department, had a conflict of interest beginning in June 2019 when she went to work for the city, according to an investigative report from the Office of the City Auditor. Although she was required to inform the city of the conflict by […]
Posted inTransportation
Are Austin airport’s safety protocols keeping up with increased traffic?
Is the city doing enough to ensure Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is staying safe amid record increases in traffic and historic personnel and infrastructure constraints? The outgoing chair of the Austin Airport Advisory Commission is asking that question. During a briefing to the commission at its March 8 meeting regarding the ongoing investigation into a February […]
Posted inEnvironment
Airport Advisory commissioners question jet-fuel storage monitoring plan
Members of the city’s Airport Advisory Commission questioned the independent monitoring plan for a new fuel storage facility being built at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. During a staff update on the project at its March 8 meeting, the commission heard a briefing on the third-party monitoring component included in the plan. Kane Carpenter, who is the […]
Posted inCity Hall
Austin’s interim city manager shakes up leadership team after initial organizational review
Interim City Manager Jesús Garza is ushering in a new era of leadership this week. On Wednesday, his office announced two high-profile departures from city management, as well as four new hirings that Garza billed as “a solid foundation for the future” of Austin’s city leadership team. The departures include longtime Assistant City Manager Rey […]
Posted inAustin
Complaint from deaf traveler at Austin airport sparks changes to TSA policy
A recent complaint concerning the Transportation Security Administration’s treatment of a deaf passenger at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport prompted changes in the ways the agency treats travelers with accessibility needs. Topher Avila, who is deaf, told the Airport Advisory Commission at its Feb. 8 meeting that he was stopped by a TSA official during a recent […]
Posted inEnvironment
Mud mixture from jet-fuel storage facility construction site leaks into nearby wetland
In September, about 500 gallons of a mud and water mixture used in construction projects spilled into the wetland on Austin-Bergstrom International Airport property. The accident happened during construction of the new jet-fuel storage facility, and the project developer is in the process of remediating the contaminated mud. Airport officials maintain that the mixture does […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin ordered to pay South Terminal operator $90 million in eminent domain fight at ABIA
The city of Austin should pay $90 million to evict the company running the South Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, a panel of special commissioners ordered in Travis County Probate Court. The amount awarded by the special commissioners – three landowners with no stake in the deal who were appointed by a judge – is […]