The early morning lines at Austin’s airport are gaining notoriety even among NPR game show hosts. “I fly a lot, and I often take early flights. I have never anywhere been in an airport that crowded that early in the morning,” Peter Sagal, host of the weekly news quiz Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, said after […]
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 inAustin
Abandoned rental cars and TSA lines out the door. What’s going on at Austin’s airport?
When Carmen Ortiz arrived at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) on Monday morning, two hours before departure as recommended, the line to get through security stretched down the Barbara Jordan terminal, outside the building and back down the entire length of the terminal. “I’ve never had to wait in a security line outside the airport,” Ortiz […]
Posted inAustin
Business leaders see continued growth with airport’s expansion plans
Even with expansion plans somewhat scaled back because of the financial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, local business leaders see the continued growth of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as vital to the region’s long-term economic prospects. At a recent panel held by Urban Land Institute Austin, airport executives laid out the revised scope and schedule of […]
Posted inTransportation
Could Austin’s airport taxis break free from the garage?
Facing steep declines in ridership, Austin’s taxi industry was offered a glimmer of hope at the most recent City Council meeting. Earlier this month, Council unanimously approved a change that will have the city license taxis as an operating authority, ending the taxi franchise system that has been in place since 1950. Mayor Steve Adler […]
Posted inAustin
Austin’s legal bill to oust operator of airport’s South Terminal approaches $1 million
The cost of Austin’s legal fight to reclaim and demolish the airport’s South Terminal — where people catch Allegiant and Frontier flights — just grew to $847,000. The Austin City Council today approved paying corporate law firm Winstead PC another $600,000 on top of $247,000 it already committed. Lonestar Airport Holdings signed a lease in 2016 to run the South Terminal […]
Posted inCity Council
Fuel site for airport expansion put on hold to allow for more community input
The city has stepped in to address the concerns of residents who live close to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and directed city staff to conduct a deeper analysis of the possible effects of a fuel tank farm proposed as part of the airport’s expansion plans. As part of the consent agenda, City Council approved on Thursday […]
Posted inAustin
Airport continues to enhance accessibility for all travelers
There’s a lot more to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport than wheelchair access. Last Thursday, City Council’s Mobility Committee was briefed on how travel to and from Austin is – or sometimes isn’t – accessible to all. The city’s Department of Aviation is committed to ADA compliance, ABIA […]
Posted inTransportation
Legal battle looms over Austin airport’s plans to demolish South Terminal
The private company that runs the South Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport – a separate three-gate facility where discount airlines Allegiant and Frontier operate – says it was not consulted over plans to demolish the terminal as part of a multiyear airport-expansion program. Lonestar Holdings is moving ahead as if the terminal will remain and […]
Posted inCity Council
Council to delve into Airport Hilton questions
City Council is preparing to discuss extending a $2.6 million loan to cover overdue bills from the Austin Airport Hilton. The hotel, which is operated by Austin-Bergstrom Landhost Enterprises, or ABLE, lost a considerable amount of revenue over the past year as a result of Covid-19. Although it seems clear that the city is responsible […]
Posted inCity Council
Airport officials strive to help employees, concessions
In December 2019, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, or AUS, hosted more than 778,000 passengers, many of whom bought snacks, coffee, lunches and books, as well as gifts for their friends and relatives. By April 2020, that number had plunged to just 24,643, thanks to the coronavirus. The 96.6 percent decline in passengers weighed heavily on airport […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Airport Advisory Commission attaches strict conditions to landfill expansion proposal
Late last month, the Airport Advisory Commission voted to oppose Texas Regional Landfill Company’s request for a permit to expand its landfill near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, unless the company promises to remediate the landfill conditions that could attract wildlife and agrees to several other conditions. The decision came after complaints from Texas Campaign for […]
Posted inZoning
Council postpones airport overlay amendments with related zoning case
The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport plans to double in size over the next two decades, welcoming and sending off about 812 flights per day and serving as many as 30 million passengers a year by 2037. That increase in operations, said Shane Harbinson, assistant director of airport planning and development, is going to bring higher levels […]